Former Pakistan cricket team captain Mohammad Hafeez slammed Jos Buttler for saying that the ICC calendar should be decided in such a way that no international matches take place during the Indian Premier League (IPL). During an episode of the Club Praire Fire podcast with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan, Hafeez said that he was shocked after hearing the statement and went on to insist that the pride of playing for one's national team cannot be kept aside for a tournament like the IPL.
“It shocked me. The statement was given by Jos Buttler after coming out of the IPL season and representing his own country as a captain. He said that there should not be any international cricket clashing with IPL,” said Hafeez on the Club Praire Fire podcast.
Hafeez asked Vaughan for his feelings on the matter but the former England captain stunned him with his reply. Vaughan said that IPL is the 'biggest juggernaut' at the moment and it is the safest route for any cricket board to allow their players to compete in such a mammoth competition.
“Well, it's it's just the nature of the beast in 2024, I'm afraid. It's the modern way. It's the modern thinking. Whether it's morally right is a very good question. But I just think the IPL is such a big juggernaut now that it's very, very hard for these international boards to compete with it. So the safest way is to allow your players to go and play in it,” Vaughan replied.
“And I know the Pakistan Super League's going to compete with it next year, which will be interesting. It'll affect the English summer more than any other country because there'll be so many players from England playing in the IPL and the PSL. But the county is scheduled for April and May next year. There'll be a lot of players missing, which will be a great shame for the county game,” he added.