Pat Cummins, the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Australia, has not decided whether or not he will play in the upcoming Indian Premier League. Officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced new regulations pertaining to international players for the next cycle. If a cricket player chooses not to participate in the auction, they would be disqualified from the lucrative league for the next two seasons. In the same way, a cricket player cannot take part in the annual mini-auctions if he does not register for the mega-auction.
Furthermore, the Indian players from the next season will earn more than the overseas players. Last year, the BCCI executives were encouraged to alter the criteria and give preference to Indian cricket players after the Kolkata Knight Riders and Hyderabad broke the bank to sign Mitchell Starc for INR 24.75 crore and Pat Cummins for INR 20.5 crore, respectively.
Although Pat Cummins is unsure of his availability, Hyderabad would be enticed to keep their captain for the upcoming campaign.
He emphasised that his top aim is playing Test cricket for Australia and recalled that he has never left a season after signing up for the auction.
“I’ll figure out what this season looks like in a little while. The rules have been slightly changed, but I’ve never pulled out after the auction, so I’m not sure if it would have affected me in the past. However, Cummins told The Sydney Morning Herald that there is another aspect of the IPL to take into account.
“World cups are right up there, and test cricket is the top priority. After that, I believe you should use them as your tent poles and figure out what else makes sense around that.” These factors have always been taken into account, and going forward, they will become even more so because the calendar will never become any less hectic and I won’t get any younger. However, it goes without saying that my top job and focus is playing cricket for Australia, especially in Test matches,” he continued.
Also Read: ED questions Mohammad Azharuddin over money laundering case involving HCA
After taking a sabbatical following the T20 World Cup, Cummins will return to action on November 22 in the five-match Test series against India. He will probably play for New South Wales in the current Sheffield Shield before then.