Seven IPL stars, namely Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson and Kane Richardson, opted out of the upcoming West Indies and Bangladesh tours. While Steve Smith was left out due to elbow concerns, others “requested not to be considered for the tour for various reasons”.
Aaron Finch spoke to radio station SEN WA on the withdrawal of Australia’s top stars and conceded that he wasn’t expecting the same.
Australia will play five T20Is against West Indies in July, followed by a three-match ODI series against the same side. A five-match T20I series against Bangladesh in August is set to be confirmed soon, with the games offering a final chance for Australia’s T20 World Cup hopefuls to stake a claim.
Aaron Finch reiterated Australia’s T20 World Cup squad has not been finalized, hinting that an impressive showing in the upcoming games could help fringe players make the cut.
Hard to justify going back and playing that second half of the IPL: Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch also had his say on the prospect of Australian players going back to feature in the second half of IPL 2021. With the current crop of IPL stars having opted out of international assignments due to workload concerns, Finch feels the same group would find it difficult to go back and play the T20 league.
The rescheduled IPL 2021 will take place in September-October in the UAE. Pat Cummins’ withdrawal has already been confirmed, with the participation of other Australian stars in doubt as well due to international commitments.
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