Shukri Conrad said that CSA is not intending to change its stance (BCCI)South Africa want their players active in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be back home by May 26, head coach Shukri Conrad has said. While the IPL 2025 final was scheduled for May 25, it has now been pushed to June 3 after the league was suspended amid rising cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. Of the 20 South African players who are in India for the IPL, eight have been named in the Proteas squad for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia, scheduled to be held at Lord’s from June 11.
“The initial agreement with the IPL and the BCCI was with the final being on the (May) 25th, our players would return on the 26th so that it allows them ample time before we fly out on the 30th. Nothing has changed from our perspective,” Conrad told the media on Tuesday.
The players who have named in the Proteas squad are Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad) Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Aiden Markram (Lucknow SuperGiants), Lungi Ngidi (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Ryan Rickelton (Mumbai Indians) and Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals). Mulder is the only one who is confirmed to not have any more commitments in the IPL after May 25, with SRH having failed to make it to the playoffs and playing their final league game on that day.
Conrad said that, as things stand, Cricket South Africa (CSA) is not intending to change its stance on when they need the players to be back from India in time for the final. “That is the ongoing conversations that are being had between people in a higher pay grade than I am, i.e. the Director of Cricket (Enoch Nkwe) and Pholetsi Moseki (CSA CEO), so they’re dealing with that. But as it stands, we’re not budging on that, I don’t think. We want our players back on the 26th, and hopefully that comes to fruition,” Proteas men’s head coach Shukri Conrad said on Tuesday.
