'A wrong message to send': Michael Vaughan says youngsters prioritising IPL over England duties can say 'goodbye'
"England are being paranoid if they think their players will turn down a central contract to play in the IPL. Ashley Giles told my show on the BBC this week that England do not want to go 'toe-to-toe' with players over the IPL because in the long run 'we may face losing some of our best players'," Vaughan wrote.
The decision taken by some of the English cricketers to prioritize the IPL over playing for their country has made for a never-ending debate. Several England cricketers – including Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali and the Curran brothers to name a few – are set to play the IPL 2021, and will hardly have any time to travel back, let alone participate in the first Test against New Zealand starting June 2 at Lord's.
Weighing in on the debate, former captain Michael Vaughan feels that a youngster giving precedence to the IPL over playing for England does not go down well in his books.
"England are being paranoid if they think their players will turn down a central contract to play in the IPL. Ashley Giles told my show on the BBC this week that England do not want to go 'toe-to-toe' with players over the IPL because in the long run 'we may face losing some of our best players'," Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
Also Read | 'Rishabh Pant doesn't have to be like MS Dhoni, he can be better than him'
"I think that is a wrong message to be sending. If an England player came to me aged 26 or 27 and said he was choosing the IPL and franchise cricket over an England deal my response would be simple, 'Go on then, see you later, goodbye, but I tell you what, I bet you come knocking back on my door in a year or two's time'," he added.
England cricketers themselves have emphasized on playing the IPL, believing the T20 league offers exposure like no other. Head coach Chris Silverwood had also explained how it is tough to prevent English players from playing the IPL. Even the legendary Geoffrey Boycott has resisted the idea, suggesting the ECB to dock players' fee if the cricketers prioritise the IPL over playing for their own country. While understanding the need to play the IPL, Vaughan has a different solution.
"If England really want to make sure it does not happen then why not offer their best players two or three year central contracts? High-level sport is about looking after the best individuals so give Ben Stokes or Jofra Archer more than a one-year contract. That way you are tying them down. Instead they have 12-month deals," Vaughan stated.