Aussie dilemma as Indian cricket league conflicts with the WTC
India paused its domestic cricket league due to rising safety concerns linked to tensions with Pakistan. As a result, many foreign players, including stars like Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, left the country. The league resumes on May 17, but this overlaps with other commitments for Australian players.
Australian players now face a tough choice: return to India for league play or represent their country in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa. Cricket Australia (CA) has expressed support for whatever decision players make, leaving the choice up to each individual.
Aussie cricketers confirmed returning to Indian
Pat Cummins and Travis Head chose to play Hyderabad’s remaining matches in India. Since their team is already out of the playoff race, these will be their only games before returning to join Australia’s WTC squad.
On the other hand, Josh Hazlewood also confirmed that he will return to play for his team in India. He had been sidelined with an injury, and many expected him to skip the league and focus on the WTC instead. However, he chose to return and play for Bengaluru, but with intentions to also commit to the Australian WTC squad.
Aussie players who are uncertain to return to India
Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie are likely to be available, but haven’t confirmed their plans. Since neither was selected for the WTC squad, they are more likely to return to India. Cricket Australia continues to support players’ choices, giving them the option to return home due to safety concerns.
Aussie players who won’t be in India to finish the league
Jake Fraser-McGurk will not return to the remaining matches of the 2025 Indian cricket league. Mustafizur Rahman, the left-arm fast-bowler from Bangladesh, will fill in for the Australian player’s absence. Unlike the other players, he cited ‘personal reasons’ for deciding to skip the rescheduled league and has decided to keep it private.
Mitchell Starc has also declared skipping the rest of India’s cricket league. Reasons he cited include his commitment to the WTC and concerns with his safety in the country. He will be dedicating his following day's training to Team Australia moving forward.
Cricket Australia supports players’ individual decisions
CA went through different stances. Originally, they wanted Australian players to prioritise the WTC, given that the Indian league group stage is ending just 8 days before their match with South Africa. This changed to giving individual players freedom to choose concerning players’ commitment and their partnership with India.
Aussie cricketer dilemma: WTC, India, and safety
The Indian domestic T20 league, the international WTC final, or personal safety? That’s the question running through many Australian players’ minds. Players like Cummins, Starc, Head, and Hazlewood have all three to juggle, while others only have to fear for their safety. Eventually, they made their decision, and CA decided to respect it.
