"Playing IPL is better than playing against Pakistan.." Michael Vaughan takes a sly dig

Michael Vaughan feels England “missed the trick” by not allowing their players to play in the IPL 2024 playoffs.

Former England cricket team captain Michael Vaughan opined that the England players would have prepared better for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 by playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs instead of taking on Pakistan in a bilateral T20I series at home.

Some of the marquee England players, including captain Jos Buttler, Phi Salt, and Will Jacks, were part of the IPL franchises that reached the playoffs. However, with the T20 World Cup starting next month, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) told their players to return home to feature in the four-match T20I series against Babar Azam’s side.

Vaughan is of the belief that the IPL playoffs have much more pressure and expectations, on and off the field, than playing a bilateral series. He reckons featuring in the playoffs of the biggest T20 league in the world would have been a better preparation for players like Salt and Jacks in particular.

Speaking at the Club Praire podcast, Michael Vaughan said, “I think you’re going to miss the trick by sending all their players home. You know, I think Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Jos Butler, in particular, playing in the IPL in the eliminators, pressure, crowd, expectation. I would argue that playing here is better preparation than playing a T20 game against Pakistan.”

They’d have been better prepared playing in the IPL than playing against Pakistan: Michael Vaughan

Salt was in phenomenal form during the IPL as he helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the top of the points table in the league phase. Will Jacks played a key role in the turnaround of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the second half of the season.

“I’m all for international cricket, but now and again, this tournament in particular, it’s so exposed to pressure. These players are under a huge amount of pressure from fans, owners, and social media. It’s massive. I just felt particularly those two, and Butler, probably not as much, but I still think he could have stayed here,” the 2005 Ashes-winning skipper added.

“But Will Jacks and Phil Salt, I think they’d have been better prepared staying here playing in the IPL, then going back to Headingley to play a game [against Pakistan],” Vaughan concluded.

England defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the second T20I after the first T20I was rained out.

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