Former England captain Michael Vaughan defended the English players who left the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for national duties saying that it is fair to prefer country first.
Players like Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley, Will Jacks and others bid farewell to their respective franchises earlier this month as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wanted all the players back in time.
The decision wasn’t welcomed by many and Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar even urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take strict action against players who left IPL during mid-season.
However, Vaughan has defended his countrymen saying that it is essential for England to fix their squad and fill the loopholes before the mega event begins as the successful defence of the World Cup is essential.
"If you are going back to represent your country, which England players have done, I think that's fair enough. They are playing a series against Pakistan. The England players wouldn't have gone back if it wasn't for the Pakistan series. The series was on the calendar. With English cricket, the defence of the 50-over World Cup was a poor one by England here in India,” said Vaughan as quoted by India Today.
After winning the 2019 50-over World Cup, England failed miserably in their title defence in the 2023 World Cup in India and Vaughan stated that the team does not want to repeat the history.
“So I think, Jos and his team, 5 games against Pakistan, they get together. The actual lead-up to the 50-over World Cup wasn't perfect either. There were a lot of swaps and changes. They have now gone back to 5 matches, get all the squad together, work on a bit of culture, everyone playing their right roles, I think it will give them a better chance," he added.
Schedule of England vs Pakistan T20I series
May 22: First T20I at Leeds
May 25: Second T20I at Birmingham
May 28: Third T20I at Cardiff
May 30: Fourth T20I at The Oval