Buttler one of five IPL players in England squad despite fixture clash

LONDON: England have selected five Indian Premier League players in their one-day squad to face the West Indies, including former captain Jos Buttler, but have not ruled out allowing them to skip the series.

A fixture clash looms after the lucrative T20 tournament was suspended last week as a result of deadly military exchanges between India and Pakistan -- the worst violence between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to stage the 17 outstanding matches following a ceasefire agreement, with the tournament due to end on June 3. England play three ODIs against West Indies, on May 29, June 1 and June 3 -- the first series since Harry Brook was appointed as their full-time white ball captain.

England cricket chiefs are keen to show support for the BCCI but also want to put out a full-strength team. As of Tuesday, they had taken no firm decision on how to respond to the latest developments.

Buttler’s Gujarat Titans are top of the IPL table and the recalled Will Jacks (Mumbai Indians) and Jacob Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) could also be needed for the play-offs. The other two IPL players who have been selected to face the West Indies, pacemen Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton, are with teams who cannot reach the finals.

An ECB spokesman said Tuesday: “We’re keen to support the IPL and the BCCI in getting the schedule up and running, and to facilitate players’ return should they choose to go back. “No objection certificates have been granted based on the original IPL dates, so we’ll need to review any potential extensions, particularly in relation to any clash with the final white-ball squad. We’ll continue to work closely with the BCCI and the IPL as the situation develops.” England also announced on Tuesday a squad for a three-match Twenty20 series against the West Indies, starting on June 6.