Michael Atherton advises English players not to miss international duty for IPL

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Following a disastrous Ashes nightmare, former England skipper Michael Atherton has called for massive changes in the English setup in order to improve the red-ball cricket. In one of those changes, Atherton has asked the English cricketers to not miss the international duty at the expense of the IPL. 

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England’s test cricket seems to be at a steep downfall following a disastrous 2021. Apart from winning two tests in Sri Lanka, England lost to India in both home and away series, lost to New Zealand in May, and now has failed to not only retain the Ashes but the English side has failed to compete with the Australian side.

“Players should not miss international duty to play in the IPL, nor be rested and rotated to allow them to play elsewhere. The carry-on during the winter, and at the start of the English summer, should not happen again,” Atherton wrote in his column for ‘The Times’.

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With regards to the IPL, the former captain had suggestions to help improve England’s performance in the international arena’s red-ball format.

“The leading multi-format players are paid seven-figure sums, but, incredibly, the ECB washes its hands of them for two months of the year during the Indian Premier League.

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“The players should be told that, while the ECB will be accommodating of the request to play in the IPL, a 12-month contract is exactly that, and the granting of a no-objection certificate to play in the IPL and other franchised competitions are contingent on it being in the best interests of the England team,” Atherton said.

Michael Atherton wants Joe Root to step down as captain and Chris Silverwood to leave the head coach’s role

In contrast to his side’s performance, Joe Root had a phenomenal 2021 with the bat as he became the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket in a calendar year. But his strategies and team’s results didn’t turn out to be successful.

Michael Atherton wants someone else to take the helm instead of Root who has failed to retain the Ashes during his five-year tenure. Atherton highlights Ben Stokes as a possible replacement for Root.

“There have been so many errors here, from selection to strategy, that the captain has to bear personal responsibility … This could have been a much closer series had Root got things right on the field,” Atherton wrote.

“Root has been a good England captain, and has always carried himself superbly and is an incredible ambassador for the sport, but having done the job for five years and having had three cracks at the Ashes, including two awful campaigns in Australia, it is time for someone else to have a go.

“Ben Stokes is a viable alternative, having done an excellent job as a stand-in briefly in the summer. His bowling is starting to wind down, and, as he may not get into England’s best T20 side now, he can be given a breather during those matches,” Atherton added.

As far as head coach Chris Silverwood is concerned, Atherton said it’s time he is shown the door and Silverwood is likely to be replaced by Gary Kirsten.

“There is no way Silverwood will (or should) survive the Ashes, which should allow a reorganization of the coaching and selecting responsibilities.”

Highlights:

• Michael Atherton doesn’t want English players to miss international duty for IPL.

• Atherton wants Chris Silverwood and Joe Root removed from their position of Head Coach and captain of the England test team.

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