Ed Smith insists IPL hasn’t taken priority over England white ball tour of South Africa

Ed Smith is adamant England’s multi-format players have not been allowed to put the Indian Premier League before international cricket even though three of them will miss the second half of this month’s white-ball tour of South Africa.

Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Sam Curran have been rested from the 50-over matches that complete England’s trip after playing a full part in the lucrative T20 competition and enduring another bio-secure bubble in the United Arab Emirates.

That threw into focus cricket’s delicate balancing act that sees England’s best players juggling franchise and international commitments that have become ever more demanding in a covid world which sees them in bubbles for weeks on end.

Ben Stokes will sit out England’s trio of one-day internationals during their tour of South Africa this month having just played in the Indian Premier League 

Jofra Archer will also play only the T20 international in South Africa having played for Rajasthan Royals during the IPL in the United Arab Emirates

But national selector Smith believes their desire to play for England should not be questioned and is happy to let key players miss matches as long as they are at their best when the big Test series and tournaments come around.

‘The ECB’s position for a number of years now has been to permit players to play in the IPL,’ said Smith on Tuesday after naming a full strength squad for the Twenty20 games that have become a priority, with two short-form World Cups in the next two years.

‘And that has coincided with England’s very good form in white-ball cricket and the World Cup success. It’s been excellent to see someone like Sam Curran, for example, do so well in the IPL and have those development opportunities.

‘It’s going to be a case by case situation where we as selectors and the players constantly evaluate what’s in the best interests of them and England and we will be sensible about workloads. 

Sam Curran is the third member of the England party who has been excused the ODI games

England’s national selector Ed Smith says he is relaxed about the players being rested 

‘We will take opportunities to rest one or two when we think it’s a good time to do so and the second half of this white-ball tour is an example.’

But that does raise the question of why players who will be in South Africa for two weeks, leaving on a charter flight to Cape Town on November 16, cannot stay on for just an extra week to play for England in three more one-day matches.

‘I don’t think it’s a question that they are too tired to play for England after the IPL,’ insisted Smith. ‘I don’t think anyone can question their commitment to the England cause. 

‘It’s simply that ECB has this stance and clearly multi-format players who also play franchise cricket are going to need some rest and that’s something we as selectors are mindful of.’

Archer celebrates taking a wicket during England’s ODI series with Australia in September

In the case of Stokes, who missed the second half of last summer’s international programme for family reasons, England want him to be fully firing at the start of a packed year of Test cricket in 2021 that, covid permitting, will culminate in the Ashes.

‘We’d like Ben to be available and in a good place to be in that Test team in Sri Lanka in January so it felt like the right thing to do to rest him for the second half of South Africa,’ added Smith.

The only real surprise was the inclusion of the talented but injury-plagued left-armer Reece Topley in both the Twenty20 and 50-over squads while the need to rest key men will provide one-day opportunities for Liam Livingstone, Olly Stone and Lewis Gregory. 

Tom Banton, meanwhile, is perhaps unlucky to be picked solely as a reserve.