England and Pakistan are preparing to face off in a four-match T20I series in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, preparations have been somewhat hampered by the cancellation of two of the three matches played so far. The only match of the series that has been able to take place so far, the second T20I, was a one-sided affair with England winning comfortably by 23 runs.
England have excluded their players from the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) due to their participation in this series. Although most of the league phase of the tournament has been completed, captain Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Phil Salt and Reece Topley could have all played in the playoffs. In Salt’s case, he could have played in the final, when his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to win their third IPL title. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that playing in the high-pressure environment of the IPL playoffs would have prepared his players better than playing a T20I series against Pakistan at home.
The comment caused a bit of a stir among Pakistan fans, but former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal said he agreed with Vaughan even though his opinion was “harsh.” “For the past few days I have been wondering why the former England captain has been making such disparaging comments about Pakistan cricket. It has been painful, but I believe he was right in his assessment,” Akmal said on his YouTube channel.
“Everyone knows the standard of Pakistan cricket. We have lost to smaller teams like Ireland. In that sense, Vaughan said it was not a tough series, so the fault is on us. Vaughan would not have said that if the opponents were any other team like New Zealand, South Africa or India,” he added. “In the IPL, you need to understand that your best bowlers and batsmen are playing in front of 40,000-50,000 people, so it is tough cricket but quality cricket,” he explained.
The absence of English players has made all the difference for the IPL teams with Rajasthan Royals missing the talent of Buttler at the top of their batting line-up while KKR have also missed the solidity of Salt and Sunil Narine at the top of their batting line-up. Jacks has played a key role in RCB’s incredible comeback in the league.
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