Just a few weeks before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction, Jofra Archer and Mitchell Starc have decided to withdraw pull out of the 15th edition of the T20 league. While Starc had recently admitted that he was thinking of participating in the franchise league, keeping in mind the 2022 T20 World Cup, his decision to pull out does look like an odd one. As for Archer, who had missed most of the 2021 IPL season due to an injury, is back playing cricket but isn’t willing to put his name for next month’s auction.
The pace-bowling duo of Starc and Archer joined the likes of Ben Stokes and Joe Root – two more high-profile players – in confirming their non-participation in the IPL Season 15. As per a report in Cricbuzz, over 1200 players (1214 precisely) have registered for the upcoming mega auction, the list was shared with the 10 franchises on Friday night (January 21).
These times of cricket in bio-bubbles have made things quite arduous for players. Moving from one bubble to another without much family time and break has had its toll on players. Many cricketers have hence decided to weigh their options and see long-term commitments before pledging participation in leagues and bilateral assignments spread across the year.
The Universe Boss Chris Gayle is another big name that is missing from the list of players who have registered themselves for the auction. At the age of 42, Gayle is past his best. He also seems to have played his final international match for West Indies, though a farewell appearance can’t be ruled out.
