Captain Aaron Finch, David Warner and Steve Smith are among 12 Australian players who will miss the start of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in view of the league’s COVID-19 protocols.
The trio are part of the 21-man squad that will tour England for three T20Is and as many ODIs before the start of the tournament.
The T20Is will be played on September 4, 6 and 8 followed by the three ODIs on September 11, 13 and 16.
However, the team’s senior assistant coach Andrew McDonald has been cleared by Cricket Australia to give the tour a miss so as to join the Rajasthan Royals, of whom he is the head coach.
Apart from Smith (Rajasthan Royals), Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Finch (Royal Challengers Bangalore), the other Australian players who will miss out on the start of the IPL areA Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders), Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab), Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers), Josh Phillipe and Kane Richardson (Royal Challengers), Alex Carey and Marcus Stoinis (Delhi Capitals), Josh Hazlewood (Chennai Super Kings) and Andrew Tye (Royals).
Originally scheduled to start on March 29 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the IPL will now start on September 19 and will be played in the UAE.
According to the SOPs for the tournament, members will be tested once they land in the UAE before they go their hotels. They will then undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine in their hotel while getting tested three times in the week. If all three tests come negative, the members can join the squad.