Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald to skip England tour for IPL 2020

Australia’s assistant coach Andrew McDonald wouldn’t be able to accompany the team for their England tour as his commitments with IPL team Rajasthan Royals are under contract. McDonald has been named the head coach of the franchise for next 3 years and will reach the UAE in time now to be with the team.

The Australian squad is set to fly to England to play 3 ODIs and T20Is each which will take place from September 4 to 16. On the other hand, the 13th edition of IPL is set to see light of the day from September 19 under strict bio-security bubble. Also, the Royals have been assumed to be the first team to touch down UAE probably on August 20.

Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia head of national teams, confirmed the news of Andrew McDonald missing the England tour and also stated that the board has no problem with him preferring the IPL at the moment. “When Andrew came onboard that was part of our agreement with him that he would be able to continue as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals – and we’re really comfortable with that,” he said in a statement.

Oliver stated that “valuable experience” will help McDonald develop as a coach and along with that, players will also have their share of benefits learning with him. As next 2 out of the 3 white-ball World Cups will take place on Indian soil, this experience will count a lot in times to come.

Clash of dates for Australian and English Players

Keeping coach aside, it has been reported that 12 out of the 21 Australian players including Captain and Vice Captain- Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins – are IPL bound. English players are also hanging around similar situation as dates are clashing for them.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has yet not announced their squad but Eoin Morgan can find himself reaching UAE late as the left-handed batsman has been taken up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping INR 5.25 crore in IPL 2020 auction.

Some players are likely to miss opening matches in the IPL because as per BCCI’s bio-security protocols, they must undergo COVID-19 tests after landing in UAE. Also, McDonald’s availability for the Royals comes as a big relief after their fielding coach Dishant Yagnik tested positive for Coronavirus a couple of days ago.