I have seen various reports of various cricket players backing out of the Indian Premier League (IPL). These range from workload to injuries. I see these being done and I just roll my eyes and shake my head in disbelief. It's disbelief because most/all of the players who have backed out hasn't really surprised me and could have been avoided all together.
Everyone who are involved in the auction and trading players should do what I do right from the beginning: research. Research is important in everything we do. Without research, people would be clueless into what is going on around them. They would be like lost puppies trying to find their way home.
The same rules apply to sport. When thinking of buying/acquiring the services of a player; it is vital to learn everything there is about him/her. There are times when unforeseen circumstances forces a player out but it's the majority of the players who can easily be identified as dead weight and therefore an unnecessary purchase.
Looking at the players that are unavailable, most of them, I believe, are very injury prone. As such, big money and placements shouldn't be wasted on these types. Even a returning player is a high risk. To me, a simple jog can cause a big injury to these type of players. Even if they played the previous season, I wouldn't retain them for the following one, even if they were the most destructive player on the planet. It's just a wasted placement and a high risk with no reward.
Another reasoning is a country's board wanting to manage the workload. To me, this means that the player's home country are aware of the injury record and want to preserve their fragile body for an upcoming series/tournament. It's a red flag to me if this takes place. A warning sign to say that "the player is fragile" would be ringing in my eyes. Handling something that is fragile can be dangerous, especially if it breaks.
An unexpected reason is very understanable and unavoidable. These include sudden injuries and personal reasons that can't be predicted. It's therefore acceptable for these players to miss the tournament and come back the next season to show the fans what they missed the previous season.
A note on Mathew Wade. I applaud and commend his decision to delay his IPL arrival to play in the Sheffield Shield final (Australia's four day domestic competition). He is choosing national commitments over big money. This is how it should be. There should be no "Sophie's Choice" decision when choosing representing your country in some form or earning a huge sum of money. It's an easy and straightforward decision. Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh clearly didn't get that memo. They chose to do the opposite. I am repulsed by this decision.
In all, I am just shocked of the amount of players that have fallen away from this season's IPL. It wouldn't surprise me if I see/hear that other players will bow out for reasons stated in this post. While replacements can and have been named, It doesn't feel the same to me. The replacements named are simply benchwarmers just waiting and crossing their fingers to be called into action.
I would suggest signing rising stars and not paying a truck load of money for players who are 99% unlikely to participate. I'm well aware I'm in the minority in this regard.
I said it once and I'll say it again: DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!