England expect most players to prioritise country over IPL

Rescheduled playoffs clash with one-day international series against West Indies

- Simon Burnton

England expect most of the five Indian Premier League players picked for their one-day international series against West Indies to report for international duty rather than complete the rescheduled tournament.

The IPL's league phase will now conclude on 27 May, two days before England play their opening game against West Indies at Edgbaston, meaning that Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton, whose teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention, will certainly be free to play for their country.

The playoffs begin on 29 May, with the final to take place on 3 June, the day of the final ODI. Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, whose sides are towards the top of the table, could all find their allegiances tested, but the England and Wales Cricket Board is confident that at least the latter two will prioritise England's first white-ball games on home soil since Brendon McCullum took over as coach of the limited-over sides and Harry Brook as captain.

It is not certain that all of the 10 English players who had been at the IPL before its suspension last week will choose to go back at all, and with some teams not playing again until next Wednesday there is still time for them to make up their minds. But Buttler is expected to arrive today in the country and the ECB has promised to "facilitate players' return should they choose to go back".

Two members of the West Indies squad play for teams that look likely to be involved in the playoffs, and while both the ECB and Cricket West Indies had agreed to let any players involved in the tournament stay in India for its duration, the new schedule has made that stance more difficult. In a statement the ECB said that No Objection Certificates, which must be issued by a player's home association before they are allowed to play in a foreign league, had "been granted based on the original IPL dates" and that they would "need to review any potential extensions".