England Cricket Board denies NOC to Punjab Kings batter Jonny Bairstow for IPL 2023

As per the latest reports suggest, it was not up to the English players to feature in IPL. The England and Wales Cricket Board has reportedly refused to issue a No Objection Certificate to Bairstow for taking part in the cash-rich league, which is slated to begin on March 31.

Notably, the 33-year-old dislocated his ankle and eventually broke his leg while playing golf on August 2022. Following which, the cricketer had to undergo surgery and is yet to make his return to professional cricket. Since his injury, he has missed out on a lot of cricket. Including the T20 World Cup in Australia and series against Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh among others.

Now, according to Cricbuzz, Bairstow is expected to gain full fitness in the next couple of weeks. But, ECB doesn’t want to risk him as the Ashes is just around the corner. Punjab Kings, who bought him for INR 6.5 crore at the IPL auction 2022, will miss his service. Notably the league around the corner, PCB are yet to announce his replacement.

Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran will most likely be available for full tournament

After Bairstow’s news there is also slight uncertainity about whether Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran will be available for the whole tournament, especially when the prior is currently dealing with multiple injuries. However, it is expected that Livingstone will recover on time and will be able to play all the matches.

When it comes to Sam Curran, there were a few doubts as well. Notably, the franchise bought him for INR 18.5 crore at the IPL auction. Curran was the costliest player in the history of the competition. Thus, not having him would have been a major shock for the Shikhar Dhawan-led side. According to the latest reports, he will be available throughout the course of the season.

PBKS full squad for IPL 2023: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Baltej Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, and Mohit Rathe