IPL 2021 In UAE: Aussie Trouble Brews For Indian Premier League

The 2021 edition of the high-profile T20 cricket league was suspended following several positive COVID-19 cases across franchises in May. Now, the remainder of IPL 2021 will be held in the United Arab Emirates in the September-October window.

According to reports, Australia are also planning a tri-series involving West Indies and Afghanistan during the same time. In fact, Australia chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns had recently said that he expects the country's IPL players to forgo the IPL if the proposed tri-series goes ahead.

This is supposed to be part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup, later in the year, which is expected to be held in the UAE. Australia are already scheduled to play white-ball series against the Windies and Bangladesh.

Should that tri-series go ahead, it will clash with the UAE leg of IPL. And Hohns had made it clear to Australian cricketers' where their priority lie.

"Around that time of the year, I would certainly hope so (that players forego the IPL for national representation)," Hohns was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "However, it will certainly depend on their commitments and what we think they should be committing to regarding their Australian commitments at that time."

He had added that the matter would, however, "have to be addressed in the future... We haven't looked at that yet and we haven't heard from our players at this stage."

He had also hinted that the IPL returnees who have opted out of the squad for the white-ball tours of West Indies and Bangladesh would get an automatic spot in the T20 World Cup will not get automatic selection in the future.

"That will be an interesting discussion for us, there's no doubt about that, depending on performances in the West Indies particularly by some of the extra inclusions for this tour," Hohns had said. "If somebody were to really shoot the lights out with the bat or the ball, we'd have to stand up and take notice."

Meanwhile, limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch said that Australian players will have a hard time justifying their participation in the second half of the postponed IPL 2021, given the hectic national schedule.

While it had been a "long term plan" for David Warner and Pat Cummins to miss the winter tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh, Finch said he understands his teammates' decision. "The other guys – I was a little bit surprised."

Seven cricketers -- Warner, Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis and Daniel Sams -- who recently played in the IPL have pulled out of the twin tours while Steve Smith has been rested to fully recover from an elbow complaint which flared during the IPL.

"I've chatted to them all – a little bit surprised but it's also understandable … but I wish that they were there," he added.