CA forced to release Watson for Rajasthan Royals

Shane Watson

Sydney, Aug 28 (IANS) Adding complications to its Ashes preparations, Cricket Australia (CA) will be forced to release Shane Watson for Rajasthan Royals for the next month’s $6 million Champions League Twenty20.

Australia’s first Ashes Test start Nov 21 in Brisbane and before that Australia will play six one-day internationals and two T20s in England, and seven one-day games and a T20 in India. In between, Champions League has just complicated things, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

According to rules, players who have qualified for more than one team, as Watson and Mitchell Johnson have for Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians, respectively, as well as Big Bash team Brisbane Heat, are obliged to represent the Indian team.

Both the Australian franchises will receive $300,000 in compensation.

Last season, Watson was forced to leave Champions League midway to prepare for the home season.

CA has resolved to rest the stars, keeping the Ashes in mind, when it picks the squad for the limited-overs tour of India from Oct 10 to Nov 2. But that may not go down well with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).