Should KP and Flintoff have played the IPL?

[smssia0112]

Ahead of a packed home schedule featuring the Windies, the Twenty20 WC and the Ashes in a matter of months, should KP and Flintoff have participated in the IPL? That's the question Ricky Ponting has asked in the leadup to the WC and Ashes series:

Cricinfo - Ponting warns England against half-fit Flintoff

Australia's captain Ricky Ponting believes that England will be taking a massive gamble if they risk playing a half-fit Andrew Flintoff in the Ashes later this summer, and offered a veiled criticism of the decisions of both Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen to take part in the recently concluded Indian Premier League in South Africa.

Facing the media at Trent Bridge following the Australian squad's arrival in England on Thursday morning, Ponting spoke of how "relaxed and rejuvenated" he felt after opting out of the IPL and taking a four-week break from the game, and suggested that in hindsight England's star players might have been better off following his example.

Instead, Flintoff is facing an anxious race against the clock after requiring surgery on a knee injury sustained while playing for the Chennai Super Kings at the IPL, while Pietersen, who captained Bangalore Royal Challengers in the opening rounds, last week missed his first international cricket for two years when he decided to rest an Achilles injury during the ODI series against West Indies.

Sure, there are high financial incentives, but is Punter right? He and Michael Clarke both sat the tournament out and are now fit for the England summer. Especially given Flintoff's injury history, surely he should have considered that the IPL was perhaps a big risk ahead of such an important summer?

Should KP and Flintoff have put their country first or were they right in going to South Africa?

 

[McLOVIN]

they played what like 2-3 games each? its not like they were there for the whole thing

 

[Biggy]

Hmm, perhaps with the World T20 to come between then and the Ashes, it probably would've been better for them to sit out, maybe just play some County fixtures to get their confidence up not under so much pressure.

 

[Gary123]

i think they shouldn't have played because the amount they got was just way too much and they were only for 3 and 6 matches............they were not going to be able to do justice to that amount anyway.............

 

[sohum]

From an injury perspective any time you step on the field you can leave it injured. If KP and Flintoff thought being ready for the Ashes was more important than the IPL, then they should have stepped out... although they could have injured themselves in the English domestic competition, as well.

I said no more from a performance perspective. Both performed pretty badly in the few matches they were there and their departure was a boon for their respective sides.

 

[karnog]

To be honest KP rightly played considering his lack of injury proneness. This latest injury probably would've bubbled up during the Ashes or close to it. Either way its a freak incident. For Flintoff i was always skeptical. He seems to injure himself in every way, shape possible. No disrespect but he's prone to accidents so i think he shouldn't have played in either IPL or World Twenty20. I think Anderson and Broad have played a lot of cricket and should be rested from a few games.

 

[angryangy]

Flintoff wouldn't have ruled out a future cartilage tear by resting. Cartilage doesn't just heal like muscle or bone and at his age, he definitely had existing wear. He would have been at risk to tear it throughout the summer and is probably fortunate to get an arthroscope when he did.

Pietersen's achilles tendon will benefit from rest, but tendons are also notorious long term niggles and it's likely that he'll just have to manage it for the summer. On the bright side, it seems pretty minor.

In any case, 'resting' in county cricket would have been stupid. Both players would have been guaranteed to play a lot more cricket.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Juxtaposition. OMG!!!

County cricket does mean you can be on low intensity though. But then again, no one was forcing them to be at full-throttle in the IPL, and they would have earned a nice pay check simply for showing up, so...

 

[King Pietersen]

They both earned a heck of alot of money for a couple of weeks of some nothing cricket, I have no problem with them doing that. Sure they've both picked up niggles, but they'll both be fit for the Ashes, so it's not a problem.

 

[tech.007]

IPL cant harm Flintoff ..he born naturally injured.

 

[King Pietersen]

Juxtaposition. OMG!!!

County cricket does mean you can be on low intensity though. But then again, no one was forcing them to be at full-throttle in the IPL, and they would have earned a nice pay check simply for showing up, so...

No it doesn't. County Cricket is of far higher intensity in terms of working the body. They'd have played far more cricket for their Counties, and could have irritated the injuries to a far more serious extent. The County schedule is a heck of alot more challenging on the body than a couple of weeks playing the IPL.

 

[Jakester1288]

Hmm. If they actually had/have injuries, they shouldn't be playing any form of cricket, but if they are alright, IMO they should be playing for their Counties, preparing for the Ashes. Obviously there is the quick money factor, and the shortness of the games could possibly mean less chance of an injury.

 

[King Cricket]

They could have picked an injury anytime, be it in the county circuit, be it in the IPL or be it in the T-20 Cup. And as Dan says, county cricket requires immense physical fitness, far higher than any T-20 tournament, so there was every probability of them getting injured whilst playing domestic/county cricket. Look, injuries don't tell you beforehand when they will come. You can't say things like that. And anyway, they played just 3/4 matches in the IPL, though they were flops, but they earned a huge sum of money. And they will be fit for the Ashes, so I don't see any problem.

 

[smssia0112]

I certainly wouldn't expect them to say no to the IPL just to play county cricket, but it makes no sense to me for an injury prone guy to go off to the IPL just before a packed summer that includes the Ashes and a T20 World Cup.

 

[King Pietersen]

He's 31 years old, he's injury prone, he wants to make as much cash as he can before injuries force an inevitable retirement. I can see nothing wrong with that. Flintoff would have needed surgery if he'd played County Cricket anyway, as it was a degenerative injury that would have flared up anyway, so actually having the surgery when he did is better for England, as he shouldn't be breaking down during the Ashes series, with that knee problem.