Michael Clarke warns Australian team about the risks of playing the IPL

Michael Clarke representing the Pune Warriors in an IPL match against Mumbai Indians

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has urged the current national team members to reconsider their Indian Premier League (IPL) plans for the next season.

Last year, a long list of Australians got injured while representing their respective sides in the IPL, and Clarke has stressed on the fact that the league increases the players’ workload, leading to fatigue and lack of rest.

“There’s positives, the cash that comes with that, but there’s negatives, the fatigue and the lack of rest. You’ve got to sum up what’s best for you”.

His concerns seem valid, especially because Australia endured a torrid season post this year’s IPL. Steven Smith, who had been in an impressive form over the last few years, got injured while representing Pune Supergiants in IPL 2016, leaving the team midway after enduring a finger injury.

An exacerbation of Shaun Marsh’s back injury, after he picked up a niggle in the initial part of the IPL, ruled him out of the tournament as well. Others like Mitchell Marsh and John Hastings had to give the entire IPL season a miss after picking up injuries in the lead-up to the tournament. 
 

"Cricket Australia allow every contracted player to have six weeks off a year. This falls during the IPL time so it's an individual player's choice to go and play IPL. And if you choose your six-week holiday to play IPL, then that's your choice”, Clarke was quoted as saying.

The 35-year old has himself been a sporadic participant in the IPL, having represented the now defunct Pune Warriors a few seasons back.

He was saved for the Ashes in 2013 by being rested for the IPL’s sixth edition, giving him time to recuperate from the back and hamstring injuries that troubled him against India earlier that year. 

“It didn’t matter who I played against, representing Australia was the pinnacle and every game was important, so I think the Australian team needs the whole squad at full strength, there’s no doubt it, in all three formats”, he said.

People believe that Clarke retired early, unable to cope with the increasing strain on his body that reached breaking point by the end of the World Cup last year. Yet, he has shown signs of making a comeback, representing the Kowloon Cantos in Hong Kong and expressing interest in getting involved with the IPL this year, although he wasn’t seen in action in the India’s domestic T20 league. He chose commentary over playing the Big Bash League, Australia’s domestic T20 tournament, scheduled to start later this year.