With multiple English players undergoing quarantine at the moment since leaving Indian shores and thus lacking proper red-ball practise, they are unlikely to feature in the Test squad to face the Black Caps.
The likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Moeen Ali could miss the two-Test series versus New Zealand as their 10-day mandatory isolation finishes just a bit more than two weeks before the first Test at Lord’s on June 2.
According to a report in ‘BBC Sport’, “The timeline is considered too tight for the (IPL) returning players, meaning calls up are expected for the likes of Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton and James Bracey.”
“While fitness levels could be managed, the lack of red-ball practice could be a concern — particularly with other options having spent several weeks competing in the County Championship,”
said another report in ‘The Independent’.
Ashley Giles, ECB’s director of men’s cricket, had also indicated earlier on that England’s IPL-bound cricketers are unlikely to take part in the home series versus New Zealand due to lack of preparation time upon return from India.
A clear picture on the matter will, of course, emerge after head coach Chris Silverwood convenes his first selection meeting on Tuesday (May 18). England recently revamped their selection process, giving Silverwood greater control of picking players across formats.
There were as many as 11 English players involved in IPL 2021, which had to be postponed indefinitely on May 4 despite 31 matches remaining due to multiple COVID-19 positive cases inside different teams’ bubbles in Delhi and Ahmedabad.
