Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who has been tipped to create ripples in the auction room, will be available for IPL 2024 only from the first week of May, according to the BCCI announcement to the teams. Hazlewood, who played an integral role in Australia's recent ODI World Cup win, will be away in March and April as the pacer and his wife are expecting their first child.
Hazlewood, released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has been included in the top bracket of the base price of Rs 2 crore in the players auction to be held in Dubai on Tuesday.
However, a report in ESPNCricinfo said that all other Aussies players, including World Cup hero Travis Head, will be available for the entire duration of the IPL.
Experienced Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman will be available only for the period between March 22 and May 11.
However, fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam will not be available for next year's IPL as they are expected to feature in the Bangladesh XI in the home series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe between March and April.
Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was released by RCB, and pacer Dushmantha Chameera, who was released by Lucknow Super Giants, will be available for the duration of the IPL as they are not in the island nation's Test schedule.
The other Lankan players, who are part of the Test squad, will be available after the series against Bangladesh, which ends on April 3, if they are bought at auction.
However, young English leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who has a base price of Rs 50 lakh, has withdrawn from the auction.
The 19-year-old will fly back home after the five-match Test series against India.
Other English players in the IPL will be closely monitored by ECB chief executive Rob Key ahead of the T20 World Cup starting in the West Indies and the US in the immediate aftermath of the IPL 2024.
Harry Brook, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes and Phil Salt are some of the high-profile English players in the auction pool.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article