Aussies ready for pointy end of IPL season

Steve Smith, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell will have little respite before the Champions Trophy if their Indian Premier League sides advance to the final.

Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell

Some typically big hitting from Glenn Maxwell featured for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. (AAP)

Steve Smith, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell remain in the mix to lead their Indian Premier League sides to glory on Sunday week.

However, if the skippers contest the IPL final on May 21 it will also cut down the time they spend preparing for the Champions Trophy.

Australia's squad will soon assemble in England for the ODI tournament, with their first assignment being a warm-up game on May 26 against Sri Lanka.

Coach Darren Lehmann will fly out for London on Thursday alongside the handful of squad members currently in Australia. Marcus Stoinis, who returned home from the IPL after damaging his AC joint in a training mishap, remains upbeat he will make the trip.

Those players currently in the subcontinent will depart when their respective IPL campaigns end.

It means Lehmann will have a keen interest in the fortunes of title contenders Rising Pune Supergiant (Smith, Adam Zampa), Sunrisers Hyderabad (Warner, Moises Henriques), Kolkata Knight Riders (Chris Lynn) and Kings XI Punjab (Maxwell).

The sharp turnaround and staggered arrivals are the latest example of cricket's cramped calender, although on this occasion it's wrong to point the finger at Cricket Australia (CA).

The lucrative Twenty20 league falls during players' leave period.

CA's board and high-performance chief Pat Howard recently discussed the option of offering cash bonuses to a select group of stars on the proviso they don't play in the IPL during their holidays.

Smith, who managed a series of niggles during the past year, cut his 2016 IPL stint short because of a wrist injury.

Pune, who caused a stir this year when they promoted Smith as skipper at the expense of one of India's favourite sons MS Dhoni, are well placed to finish in the top two.

Smith says the IPL will help, not hinder, Australia's Champions Trophy campaign.

"Playing in IPL is great ahead of the Champions Trophy. It is always good to play white-ball cricket before such a big tournament," Smith told Indian reporters.

"Though the format is different, we are playing with world-class players."

The main point of contention in tense pay talks between Australian cricketers and the governing body has been CA's desire to scrap the revenue-sharing model.

However, the organisation's most valuable assets have also made it clear they're unhappy with how much cricket is being played.

"Injuries and fast bowling go hand in hand. The schedule doesn't help that," Mitchell Starc said this week, having opted out of the IPL earlier this year before suffering a foot injury.

"I've bowled twice as many balls in a nine-month period than I had in any 12-month period before, that definitely contributed to the injury."

The IPL finals start on Tuesday.


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Source: AAP



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