Mitchell Johnson has expressed that the safety of a cricketer must come first for any country. He is critical of the BCCI for pressurizing overseas players to return for IPL 2025, which has been suspended for a week due to rising tensions with Pakistan. The tournament will resume on May 17 after the forcible delay owing to military clashes.
Once the suspension was announced, a significant number of overseas players hurried back home, some even taking circuitous travel routes to their countries. In his column in The West Australian, Johnson said had he been in the secretariat’s position, he would have issued a clear “no” as to whether to return to India to complete the tournament. He emphasized that safety comes first ahead of any monetary value.
He said that no player should feel forced to return, even under pressure from the IPL and the Pakistan Super League. He corresponds that the BCCI decision to restart IPL 2025 with the final now shifted to June 3 places pressure on foreign cricket boards half a month away before the World Test Championship final scheduled on June 11 between Australia and South Africa,
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Australia seems to have manageable situations, though, with only Pat Cummins and Travis Head committed to returning, however, Cricket South Africa will have a couple of upright challenges to its name. Johnson said-and it is that Cricket Australia gives a choice to players-but this is then a very weighty choice, and the consequences could lead to something few are happy about financially. His closing statement was that safety comes first.
The IPL is set to resume after a week long break as RCB and KKR are set to take on each other on May 17 in Bangaluru.
