IPL 2016: The world’s best Test cricketers missing out, but why?

Mitchell Starc’ absence was a huge blow for Royal Challengers Bangalore

There are three Aussies on those three lists who have not played the IPL as well. Adam Voges is the world’s seventh-ranked Test batsmen. At 36, he is enjoying a dream period in the baggy green, averaging 95.50 with the bat. All of just 15 Tests old, it seems natural that he wants to extend his Test career as much as possible and knows very well that any injury or burn out faced as a result of the IPL would in hindsight be the most naïve career move ever.

Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc are the other two. Now while Starc was injured and is now reportedly fighting fit, if you consider the fact that along with these two even the likes of James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon and Patrick Cummins do not play the IPL.

It is evident that there is a definite plan on both England’s part as depicted above as well as on the part of the Australians to keep their Test bowling unit out of the IPL. If nothing else, the confidence hit that the bowlers get in this slam-bang format where even mishits reach the stands is enough to suggest that it is a wise decision.

The last three cricketers in this selection are Kiwis Trent Boult and Marc Craig and South African Vernon Philander. Boult is the world’s seventh-ranked Test bowler while Craig is ranked 10th in the Test all-rounders list. Philander is the world’s 10th ranked Test bowler and fifth-ranked all-rounder. Boult is with the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad but has only played a single game till date. He had played seven matches for them the previous year. Craig and Philander are not in any squad however.

A wedge between two formats?

So it seems evident that the World’s best Test players are clearly not excited about the IPL. Even the players who do play, barring just four exceptions as pointed out, play only a select few matches. For example, Steve Smith, went home after just eight matches. Kane Williamson has played no more than six. It would be silly to suggest that the very best like Virat Kohli is not in any of those lists and if he and the World T20 winning West Indians are here, why bother.

But even someone like a Faf du Plessis, not in any of the Test top-10 rankings and is acknowledged by all as one of the world’s best Test batsmen, went back after playing just six games for the Rising Pune Supergiants. Kevin Pietersen, who is no longer a test player at the moment and is also not in the rankings went back playing just four matches for Pune. And many others who have been named who are not on the top-10 lists, just like Kohli and do not play the IPL. But fans will recall that even the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Ricky Ponting did not play in the IPL when they were active Test players.

So who is the loser in all this? It has to be the Indian cricket fan. The BCCI might want to look into this and maybe work a bit on the duration of the tournament which is disconcertingly long. Otherwise, it is next to impossible to see empty stands in an Indian cricket stadium for a limited overs cricket match.

Then there is, of course, the element of the IPL being played right in the middle of the harsh Indian summer. Maybe, this is why there are reports coming in that the powers that be are contemplating another short IPL.

We can only wish and wait.