Postponement of Bangladesh series paved way for players to be available for IPL, says ECB CEO Harrison

London [UK], August 12 (ANI): Tom Harrison, the Chief Executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), on Thursday said the postponement of the Bangladesh series has paved the way for Three Lions' cricketers to be a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL), when it resumes in the UAE.
Earlier, England's limited-overs series against Bangladesh was postponed to 2023 and this paved the way for the Three Lions' cricketers to be a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when its 14 edition resumes on September 19.
"With respect to the IPL, we are going to have discussions with all our players and with the postponement of the Bangladesh tour, that provides an opportunity for players to present themselves for the IPL. Players are going to have to manage their schedules because we have a busy winter and that comes on the end of a busy summer. Those discussions are underway, but obviously, on a case-by-case basis, those decisions will be made with the players," said Harrison during an interaction with select media on Thursday.
"We fully expect to go to Pakistan for our two-match T20I series in the run-up to the ICC T20 World Cup. That would be the first time, England would go to Pakistan since 2004. It is very important for us, strategically it is important because teams are starting to go back to Pakistan and we fully want to show our support towards a fellow member of the ICC," he added.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday confirmed its intention to push for cricket's inclusion in the Olympic Games going forward, starting preparations for a bid on behalf of the sport with the primary target being its addition to the Los Angeles 2028 itinerary. According to the Apex Body, a working group to lead the bid has been assembled by the ICC.
"Personally, it is something which I have been pushing for a very long time. It is a big opportunity for cricket to continue its growth. I feel strongly that the role of governing bodies is to grow and protect their respective sports. I think it is such an exciting opportunity for cricket to stretch beyond its usual traditional values. If there is one criticism you can level at cricket is that we have not managed to take the game to many more new territories.
"As I have said before, the beauty of cricket is the game itself. It is a very powerful sport and it carries such a force for good. If we are able to package the game in a way it makes sense to people, they will come running towards it. If we provide a sense of belonging to new nations, the game will do the rest. The format the ICC needs to think about over the coming months," he added.
The second Test between England and India will be live from 3.30 pm IST on SONY SIX (English) channels from Thursday. (ANI)