New Delhi [India], May 15: South African players are expected to remain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until the tournament concludes, potentially affecting their preparation for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald has reported.
The delay in their departure comes amid allegations that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) exerted its influence to ensure the players’ continued participation in the cash-rich league. Initially, Cricket South Africa (CSA) had stated that their IPL-bound players would leave by May 25 to join the Test squad.
On May 8, the BCCI temporarily suspended the IPL for a week due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. With hostilities easing, the league is set to resume on May 17 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
CSA’s director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, originally maintained that the players would return by May 26 as planned. However, he later reversed his stance, indicating that higher-level discussions between CSA, BCCI, and IPL franchises were dictating the players’ availability.
“Correction – the squad will resume training for the game on June 3rd. The matter is being discussed higher up than me. At ground level, we are focusing on WTC final preps,” Nkwe said.
This shift suggests CSA has little control over the final decision, as IPL revenues and franchise priorities continue to outweigh bilateral or ICC commitments.
South African stars such as Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, and Tristan Stubbs may arrive in England barely a week before the final on June 11, with minimal red-ball preparation. A planned warm-up match against Zimbabwe on June 3 now hangs in the balance.
This isn’t the first time IPL commitments have disrupted WTC preparations. In 2023, Indian players entered the WTC final just days after playing the IPL final. By contrast, only one Australian—Cameron Green—was part of the IPL playoffs, allowing most of the squad adequate red-ball preparation.
This year, Australia again has the advantage. Apart from Josh Inglis and potentially Mitchell Starc (who may withdraw from the IPL), the rest of the squad, including Pat Cummins and Travis Head, are either done with the IPL or have returned to Australia for Test preparation.
The Australians are conducting training camps in Brisbane and will move to London for match-style practice sessions. They have opted out of a warm-up match, focusing instead on internal simulations.
In a related development, Australian pacer Sean Abbott has decided not to return to the Pakistan Super League following a recent flight scare, although fellow pacer Ben Dwarshuis plans to continue playing.