The Proteas’ experience at the 2021 T20 World Cup should convince Cricket South Africa that a full Indian Premier League experience would be beneficial for those who have the opportunity.
Given that the IPL is set to take up its usual slot in the global cricket schedule, the conflict between national team commitments is one that CSA has fashioned for itself.
Framing the desire to fulfil agreements with their franchises as players choosing money over the national team’s interests is out of line.
The value of an IPL experience cannot be overestimated, with no franchise T20 tournament coming closer to simulating international level cricket.
At the last T20 World Cup, an underprepared South Africa started just a little slowly, and despite winning four on the trot and beating England, missed out on the semifinals.
Curiously, in a T20 World Cup year, Bangladesh visit South Africa to play three ODIs and two Test matches.
While both series will count towards ICC sanctioned events in the World Test Championship and Cricket World Cup Super League, it seems folly that there are no T20s in the mix.
However, a decent IPL programme offers players the opportunity to effectively bridge their T20 momentum to the white-ball tour of India that comes soon after the franchise spectacular.
That series is yet another reason that the Proteas’ big names should be allowed to bunk off on the Bangladesh series.
To think that the best way for players to serve the national team interests is always to turn out for the Proteas is a narrow line of thinking, and the failure to accommodate the IPL suggests that CSA are out of touch with cricket’s global reality.
The IPL is a fixture in the global calendar and fighting that makes no sense at all and has an air of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Let our boys go and play in the IPL, and stop making this a flag-waving exercise.
