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England stars set to miss Tests for IPL

Rajasthan Royals get clarity over the status of their England stars ahead of the clash between the IPL and the series against New Zealand

Rajasthan Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara says Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler will stay at the Indian Premier League for as long as they are needed by the franchise – which could mean a clash with England’s Test team.

The trio have all been retained by the Royals for the 2021 edition of the IPL, joined by Lancashire's Liam Livingstone after he was picked up at Thursday's auction in Chennai, and have committed to a full season.

In recent years, the England and Wales Cricket Board has instructed players to return home for the start of the international summer but is understood to have relaxed that restriction this time.

The dates for the IPL are yet to confirmed but the competition is expected to run well into June, meaning the England stars could miss their Test against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2-6 and possibly the second Test at Edgbaston, on June 10-14.

The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran are also likely to be affected but Sangakkara has made it clear he sought and received assurances that Stokes, Archer and Buttler would not be recalled by England.

"That is our understanding, yes. The feedback we got was that they should be available for the franchise," he said.

"Our objective was to get as much clarity as possible, because if that were the case, it really puts us in a vulnerable position.”

It comes as Bangladesh granted leave to star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan to miss their upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka so that he can play in the IPL.

Meanwhile, England fast bowler Mark Wood said he withdrew from the IPL auction so that he could spend time with his family and get some rest ahead of a busy second half of the year.

Wood had been one of eight overseas players slotted into the highest bracket of the auction but withdrew a few days before the event.

Pacemen were in high demand at the auction, with South African Chris Morris (A$2.88m) being picked up for the tournament’s highest ever auction price, while Australians Jhye Richardson (A$2.48 million) and Riley Meredith (A$1.42 million) also earned big money.

"First and foremost, it was my family," Wood told reporters. 

"We can't see our families while we're with England ... I wanted to be able to switch off, go back home and recharge for the second reason - which, of course, is being ready for England.

"I try to prioritise that. I don't want my body to fail me, or be a bit bruised mentally or physically going into the end of the year which includes the (Twenty20) World Cup, Ashes and a big series against India.

"Obviously there have been some big names going for big money, it's great for them. 

"I just didn't feel the time was right. Although it's life-changing money, I'm comfortable with my decision in the long run and I hope it serves me well."