England Take a look at captain Ben Stokes can be absent from subsequent yr’s Indian Premier League after electing in opposition to coming into this month’s participant public sale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The IPL confirmed 52 Englishmen are amongst 1,574 people who’ve put themselves ahead to go beneath the hammer on November 24 and 25 however the PA information company understands Stokes will not be amongst that quantity.
Stokes opted out of this yr’s IPL and the T20 World Cup with a view to concentrate on his health and get again to being a fully-fledged all-rounder for the Take a look at collection in opposition to the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
A hamstring harm suffered in The Hundred led to Stokes lacking the 2-1 win over Sri Lanka and final month’s collection opener in Pakistan, and it appears he’s prioritising England’s Take a look at facet as soon as extra.
The one wrinkle in Stokes’ resolution additionally means he can be unable to compete within the 2026 IPL, with new guidelines decreeing abroad gamers who didn’t enter this public sale could be ineligible subsequent yr.
Jimmy Anderson
Whereas Stokes, the IPL’s most respected participant in 2017, sits out, it has been reported former England team-mate James Anderson, who has not performed a T20 since August 2014, has thrown his hat into the ring.
The 42-year-old holds the document for essentially the most Take a look at wickets by a non-spinner in historical past, ending his England profession in emotional scenes at Lord’s in July earlier than settling into a training position thereafter.
However Anderson has but to formally announce his retirement and advised PA in August he felt like he “might do a job” on the franchise circuit.
The IPL, which is but to disclose when its 18th version will begin and finish though it ran from March 22 to Could 26 this yr, has not communicated the identities of those that have put themselves ahead.
With every franchise capable of have a most squad of 25 gamers, there are 204 spots to be stuffed on the public sale and a full record can be revealed within the subsequent couple of weeks.
A complete of 46 gamers have been retained by the ten groups however none of them English, with England white-ball captain Jos Buttler launched after seven seasons with Rajasthan Royals.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has not disclosed who, amongst its centrally-contracted gamers, have put themselves ahead for the public sale.
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