Riley Meredith pulls pin on PSL return as Greenberg and other cricket executives delay travel plans to India

An Australian paceman has opted out of the remainder of the Pakistan Super League having been aboard the flight that narrowly avoided an Indian missile strike.

Australian paceman Riley Meredith has opted out of the remainder of the Pakistan Super League having been aboard the flight that narrowly avoided an Indian missile strike.

Meredith, who played for Australia as recently as last September, had been appearing for Islamabad United in the PSL, which will resume this weekend after being postponed alongside the Indian Premier League because of the eruption of the India-Pakistan conflict, subsequently eased by a ceasefire agreement.

A host of Australian players across both competitions have been weighing up whether to return to the leagues ahead of their respective resumptions.

READ MORE: ‘Was that real?’: Aussie cricketers’ chilling close call with missile strike

Riley Meredith, who played for the Hurricanes in the BBL, will not return to the Pakistan Super League. Picture: Getty Images

While David Warner and Ben McDermott are set to feature when the PSL restarts, Meredith, 28, has chosen not to venture back to Pakistan.

The Tasmanian was one of several Aussie players who just escaped Pakistan for Dubai, minutes before the base from which they departed was engulfed.

There remain doubts as to whether Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis will return.

It’s understood Xavier Bartlett and Mitch Owen will head back to play with the Punjab Kings in the IPL although several other Aussies with that franchise were still assessing their options as of Wednesday night (Australian time), awaiting further security details.

Jake Fraser-McGurk will also not return to the IPL where he has been on the outer with the Delhi Capitals.

Meredith had been the first Australian player on the flight to realise the extent of the close shave.

“We landed (in Dubai) and Riley Meredith called up his phone and said “this cannot be true’’ and the whole plane went “Holy crap,’’ batter Max Bryant, also on the flight, told this masthead.

“Then we had some messages saying ‘this was the base you left from in Islamabad’. If we had left 20 minutes later I am not sure what might have happened.’’

AUSSIE CRICKETERS CONSIDER RETURN TO INDIA, CEO DELAYS PLANS

- by Ben Horne and Robert Craddock

A plan to have Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg launch Ashes fever in India this week has been temporarily derailed due to the conflict with Pakistan.

The mood is subtly changing amongst Australian stars who are looking to start trickling back to the IPL, but Greenberg and other cricket executives and luminaries will delay their trips to India following the dramatic events of the past week.

Cricket Australia was originally set to launch the coming Ashes summer in India on Wednesday, in association with CAIR – the Centre for Australia India Relations.

The initiative partnering with Indian TV broadcasters to promote a series against England illustrates the power and influence of India on world cricket, although Australia will also play white ball matches against India this summer.

Newly appointed Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has delayed his trip to India. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images for Cricket Australia

CAIR held a similar launch last year in India ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy – but this year’s event has been put on ice following the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.

Pat Cummins and Travis Head lead the Australian big names softening towards returning to India in the coming days to resume the IPL competition following the weekend ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

IPL clubs hold the balance of power in the contract war with players and players could lose up to $400,000 if they don’t go back and finish the competition.

Josh Hazlewood and Spencer Johnson are unlikely to return to the IPL due to niggling injuries, while Mitchell Starc is yet to make a decision after he and wife Alyssa Healy were stuck in Dharamsala when missiles struck a village 60km from the cricket stadium when he was playing for Delhi against Punjab.

There is a force majeure in the IPL contracts which protect the clubs in the event the tournament is stopped due to civil unrest.

People waving Indian national flags along the Kartavya Path near India Gate, expressing solidarity with the armed forces following the ceasefire with Pakistan. Picture: Arun Sankar / AFP)

It would be extraordinary if players from Delhi and Punjab were financially punished for not returning to India given their lives were effectively put in danger by the catastrophic decision to proceed with last week’s ultimately abandoned match in Dharamsala.

Meanwhile, David Warner has shown his loyalty to the Pakistan Super League by agreeing to return to Pakistan for the planned resumption of that tournament as well.

Warner had been in Dubai since being evacuated from the country and will help headline the remainder of the league competing directly with the IPL.

David Warner in action for the Sydney Thunder during January. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Cummins to return to India despite scheduling squeeze

- Robert Craddock

PAT CUMMINS is poised to fulfill his leadership commitments by heading back to the Indian Premier League but injured Josh Hazlewood remains in doubt.

Cummins is captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad who are out of contention for the finals with three matches to play but he is set to return for the competition restart this weekend.

“Pat has a responsibility as captain of the franchise and is looking at returning,‘’ his manager Neil Maxwell confirmed.

Tournament star Hazlewood, who missed one match with a shoulder niggle and was scheduled to miss a second, will have a fitness test to decide his fate.

Pat Cummins is poised to return to India. Picture: Noah Seelam / AFP

With the World Test Championship looming next month Hazlewood may be wise to stay in Australia to fine tune his recovery.

David Warner, who has been playing in the Pakistan Super League, has confirmed he will head back to Pakistan for the resumption of the suspended competition.

The relaunched Indian Premier League will overlap preparations for the World Test Championship, casting uncertainty over the return of a group of Australian Test stars.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood (L) has been in fine form. Picture: AFP

Australia is set to leave for a training camp on May 29 for the World Test Championship against South Africa at Lords from June 11.

The relaunched IPL, halted for a week due to the border war against Pakistan, will restart on Saturday and continue to a June 3 final, by which time the Australian Test squad will be in England.

Even though the India-Pakistan skirmish is in the midst of a ceasefire, Mitchell Starc would have to take a deep breath before returning after being involved in the chaotic game last week which was cancelled in Dharamshala when air raid sirens were heard in the distance.

Starc, however, is a renowned big game performer and with Delhi in contention for the finals they may be hoping he returns.

Starc was involved in the game last week that was called off when air raid sirens were heard in the background. Picture: Getty

Cummins and Travis Head play for Sunrisers Hyderabad who are out of play-off contention with three matches to play.

Cricket Australia confirmed it will support players, whichever stance they take.

“Following the announcement that the IPL will resume on Saturday, Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not,” said a CA spokesman.

“Team management will work through preparation implications for the World Test Championship Final for those players who choose to play in the remaining IPL matches.

“We are maintaining communication with the Australian Government and BCCI around security arrangements and safety.”

Fellow World Test championship contenders Josh Inglis (Punjab) and Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow Super Giants) are in teams contending for play-off berths.

Marsh, who lost his Test place this summer, has been a tournament surprise packet.

Six venues will be used in the new IPL schedule in southern and central India and deliberately well away from the hostile border with Pakistan.

The Australian government currently advises tourists to show a high degree of caution if visiting India.

Originally published as Riley Meredith pulls pin on PSL return as Greenberg and other cricket executives delay travel plans to India