IPL 2025 | 'Lives are more important, not pay cheques'

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson stated that it is not wise to return to India to feature in the remainder of the IPL 2025 He believes overseas players should prioritise safety over their pay cheques as many make their way back to the Indian subcontinentPreviously the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI had suspended the IPL 2025 due to the escalating crossborder tensions between India and PakistanThe league which is set to resume on May 17 has been shuffled and is different from the previous schedule As IPL 2025 resumes Johnson in his column for the West Australian said While Cricket Australia has empowered players to make their own decisions the weight of those choices can be heavyCricket might involve mega bucks these days but it is still just a game and that has been brought sharply into focus after the Indian Premier Leagues hiatus this week he addedIf I had to make a call whether to head back to India and finish the tournament it would be an easy decision Its a no from me Lives and safety are the most important thing not pay cheques the former leftarm pacer addedAlso ReadIPL 2025 Jos Buttler to prioritise national duty after conclusion of leagues group stage matchesAs both the IPL and the Pakistan Super League PSL were suspended Johnson stated that even if the leagues are moved to other venues it will result in financial issuesThe Australian pacer added Its a personal decision No one should be coerced or feel pressured into going back even if the IPL and Pakistan Super League which has also been halted push hard for it Both tournaments should just end now or consider moving which then becomes a huge financial issueThe revised schedule of the IPL 2025 has left very little time for the Australian and South African players with their preparations for the upcoming World Test Championship WTC final The match is scheduled to be played at the Lords Cricket Ground from June 11And lets not forget that some Australian and South African players will need to prepare for the upcoming World Test Championship finalWith the IPL final now pushed back to June 3 just a week before the WTC final starts at Lords the impact on players preparation for what is supposedly as Test crickets showpiece match is another issue he addedAhead of the league resuming some of the overseas players have already returned to India but some remain worriedCricket is a source of pride and unity for fans Despite the challenges posed by the current situation the passion for the game remains unwavering However the reality is that the safety and wellbeing of players fans and everyone involved in these leagues must be prioritised Johnson wroteWhile cricket can bridge divides and promote camaraderie it is essential to consider the implications of playing in such a tense security environment Ultimately the hope is that sporting events can resume in a positive atmosphere but allowing both tournaments to restart this weekend will have some backlash added the former cricketerHopefully once tensions between the two nations ease both leagues can thrive again and bring joy to countless cricket lovers But we must not forget the bigger picture in all this concluded Mitchell JohnsonWith PTI InputsatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params