The Indian Premier League has been postponed, so what does this mean for the stars of the tournament moving forward?
Meanwhile, Australian opener Marcus Harris put his name up for the Test opening spot after another County cricket century.
The Cricketer’s Playbook podcast features SC Playbook’s Tim Williams and Cricket Australia commentator Max Bryden as they recap the past week of the IPL, looking at the stunning century of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the tournament postponement.
They also recap the 2025 English County Cricket season, with Marcus Harris staking his claim for a Test recall, while they also take a look over the Australian domestic cricket contract movements.
01:30 IPL postponement: What happens now?
08:20 IPL world angle: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi stuns the world
12:40 County Cricket recap: Harris puts name up for recall
17:00 Australian domestic cricket contract news
Hello, welcome to the cricketers playbook podcast. I’m your host Tim Williams. We are here to recap the week there was in the world of cricket with the Indian Premier League suspended indefinitely in another Aussie opener putting his hand up for selection with a century in county cricket. Here to talk with me as always, Cricket Australia commentator Maxi Brighten. Maxi, how are you mate? Good Tim man. I’m doing well. It’s it’s funny when the uh the action stops on the field it never stops off and I feel like that’s what we’ve got to talk about today. unbelievable week with all that is going on over in India and the IPL. Uh the man also with the best stats in sport, random stats guy, not with us this week. He’s out of action, Rando, but he’ll be back on deck from next week as per normal proceedings. Now on today’s show, guys, the latest on the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League and the postponements over there. The Aussies in County Cricket, the round five rap, Marcus Harris putting his hand up for selection with another century. Absolutely on fire there. what it means for the Australian opening selections for the rest of the year. Uh the Australian state contracting roundup the major ins and outs at each squad. Uh and guys with the postponement of the uh the cricket the postponements I should say over in the IPL crickets a bit in short supply this week. So we will be shorter and sharper with the recap on today’s episode. Hopefully with more cricket back on deck we’ll be back to normal proceedings with the lengthier recap from next week. So, we won’t have a team of the week for this week, but we’ll add in any past performances uh when we recap it next week. Maxi, let’s get straight into the big talking point of the week and not hard to go past the suspension of the IPL. And it’s for reasons far beyond our comprehension, the tensions between Pakistan and India. It’s kicked off and the IPL has stopped as a result, as has the Pakistan Super League. mate. Um, particularly for the Aussie listeners out there who might be fully into footy mode, going to check the IPL scores and wondering where they are. Talk to us about what’s going on to your knowledge. Yeah, look and and as you said, Tim, it’s it’s difficult stuff for us to grasp as we sit here in our studio in Sydney. Um, never having visited India but watched so much of uh the cricket over the years over there and have loved everything about the IPL. Look what we know is that um there was uh border tensions between Pakistan and India and has has had a net impact on two of the major cricket tournaments going on at the moment. So first and foremost the PSL has been suspended indefinitely. There was a lot of Australians over there. I think we were calling it the New South Wales Cup uh to to the IPL of first grade. Um the IPL has been suspended for one week now. The PSL were originally trying to relocate to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Um and they went as far as announcing that that was going to be the case um until that move was uh unfortunately squashed. They’ve now been suspended indefinitely. But the IPL at the moment, they’ve said, as it stands, the tournament has been suspended for for just one week now. The situation is changing rapidly and almost hourly. Um at the moment with with all of these claims. Um there were originally conversations about it being suspended until September. There were even talks of it being uh moved entirely to England. But as it stands, it’s been suspended for one week. And one of the likely outcomes is that all of their games are going to be moved to a couple of locations within southern India away from uh the the more tense zones in northern India of the conflict which would hopefully provide a lot more safety to the players in particular the international players um who are in you know they’re basically all over the world at the moment. So what we know is that after um the postponement of the tournament and after a game was abandoned mid uh midmatch in in in Damasala um there was a number of Aussies who got on planes and they’ve got out of India and they’ve arrived home in Australia as of Sunday. Now who these people are it really depends I guess on a couple of things and a couple of factors particularly when it comes to their likelihood to return to the tournament. So those factors include are their teams in finals contention. Now, most of the sides in the IPL, they only had about three games left of the regular season before the finals. There are a number of teams who can’t make the finals that feature Aussies. Um, for example, Chennai Super Kings with Nathan Ellis, they can’t make the finals, right? So, I don’t I don’t know if if necessarily these guys who are out of finals contention are going to make their way back. The second factor as well is the World Test Championship, which we’re actually only 30 days away from the start of that on the 11th of June in England. Now, um, the IPL was originally scheduled to finish on May the 24th, which was going to be a 17-day gap between the final and the start of the World Test Championship. If the IPL’s push back a week, that time between, you know, the most important test match of the 2-year cycle becomes even shorter. So a number of those big guys who are in the IPL and in the Australian test team like a Pat Cummins, like a Travis Head, like a Hazerwood, a Stark, these types, they are also potentially unlikely to return to the tournament unless their their teams, their coaches can truly convince them of the need to stay, convince them and convince Cricket Australia. Yeah. Convince their families. Family is the big one. Of course, you know, player safety at the forefront of all of this. I know you know there’s been a ceasefire um between the two nations for the time being and Ricky Ponting uh you know and his Punjab kings he was boarding a plane ready to leave and when the news came through he said all right you know what I’ll stick it out and I’ll stay here for longevity for the time being so I said it’s constantly updating day in day out the players coming going staying whatever it is you know we’re just waiting for updates on all that’s going on what are the sort of confidence levels Maxi that it will be up and running you know within that that week of suspension are they confident they’re going to get there or is again is it just a case of it’ll change day to day? I think the IPL are pretty confident, right? Like we’re talking about a sporting league that’s worth $16 billion. So they they want to get this right for commercial reasons. They want to get the product back on television so that they’re getting all of the meeting all of their commercial obligations that they’ve that they’ve set out. Um they want to get a great product and I think that this tournament deserves to have its finale like rightly so. I think everyone wants that. Um but in terms of the confidence as you said it is changing almost hourly at the moment. Um so I’m hopeful that something will happen whether it’s in 7 days or in 7 weeks. Um we don’t know we do know that globally there is typically a second window of time in in the calendar where there isn’t a lot of international cricket which is typically in September. We know this because, you know, there’s been rumors of of a second IPL window for for years. Um, that has been eyed off as a as a potential time to get more product out there for people. Um, so it could be then, but look, I’m hopeful that it’ll be done in 7 days. I’m hopeful that some Aussies will hang around. Um, even particularly teams like Punjab that are coached by Ricky Ponting, Brad Haden’s over there. Yeah. Guys who aren’t necessarily in the test lineup as well with that squad like an Aaron Hardy from uh from West Australia. Um, I’m hopeful that we can get some proper conclusion to this tournament because it’s been a great tournament so far this year and I think it really deserves it. Uh, and our good mate Mitchy Owen scooped up uh to the IPL. Yeah. Yeah. Look, Mitch was uh kind of in the rare position of having been upgraded from New South Wales Cup, so to speak. Um, he was over there playing in the uh in the PSL um before getting a tap on the shoulder with an injury to Glenn Maxwell uh to play out the remainder of the tournament um with the with the Punjab Kings. So, um, he has stepped over in the IPL. Uh, I don’t think he’s got a game just yet. I think he’s sort of more there on potential in a bit of a learning and scoping experience, but, um, you know, certainly a player that that we we tagged on this show as with the potential to pick up one of those replacement contracts. So, good to see him, I guess, have his potential realized and recognized. Absolutely, man. Yeah, said like even in the the leading into it, like he had scores of 1, six, 15, five. Wasn’t exactly setting the world light, but potential wise, we know it’s there with Mitchi Owen. So I mean it’s very interesting though because if there are players that that are already leaving the tournament in the IPL that don’t return it might open the door for someone like a Mitch if he is to stay over there and get a bit of a hit because the opportunity for him to be in and learning around these superstars of world cricket. If you can get a run and hit some runs look out I mean it just pricked my interest before but imagine if they moved it from from India to England to finalize and round out the tournament. difference in conditions there would be unbelievable. But yeah, all going to plan mate. Hopefully they can get it back up and running, finish it in this window. Worst case scenario, hope they can do it in that second window in and around September. Mate, before the suspension of the tournament, it was uh a week ago now, a bit over a week ago now. But the 14-year-old sensation happened about a day after our recording of the last episode. But Survivanchi, the youngest player in Indian Premier League history, the second quickest IPL century ever, the fastest century by an Indian, Chris Gale, he had the quickest century of all time in the Indian Premier League. 101 runs off 38 balls. He finished. Where does this see it? And I’ll put you on the spot here, but among the greatest knocks of all time because honestly a 14year-old, mate, I couldn’t tie my shoes at 14 years old and this kid’s gone out against the best cricketers on the planet and hit the quickest century by an Indian of all time. Well, well, just firstly, man, you you’re what almost 30 now and you still can’t tie your shoes. So, 31 and can’t tie my shoes actually. Yeah, there you go. He’s actually got the Velcros on under the desk there just to uh take everyone behind the scenes. But look, now this is an absolutely ridiculous achievement. I think that um when you think about what 14-year-olds are doing in Australian cricket that we get excited about, it’s potentially a first grade debut in grade cricket. Yet, here is this man stepping into arguably the best domestic tournament in the entire world. Not just participating, but taking over. Um it’s it’s so many things. It it’s it’s the it’s the it’s appearing there and not being unfased. It’s the the physical strength at the age of 14 or being in his teenage years to take on men. Uh it’s the the the hitting ability to do this at pace and score the second fastest century in the history of the tournament. And even just the fact that he’s doing this so early into his IPL career, like this wasn’t season two where maybe he’s gotten up to pace with what it’s like playing against men. It’s it’s absolutely remarkable. it. You you imagine the equivalent in in soccer might be a 14-year-old coming in and scoring a hat-tick in a Champions League game or a 14-year-old coming into rugby league making first grade and and scoring tries. Like it’s it’s it’s really hard to truly comprehend just how enormous this is um in cricket but in global sport. So rightly so I think this is one of the craziest things that’s happened in world sport that I can remember and that’s it. It’s not limited to Indian cricket. It’s not limited to T20. It’s not limited to cricket. It is like in world sport for a 14y old to do what he’s done and have players that can bowl 141 45 clicks come out and not just handle them but produce one of the greatest knocks of all time are just it’s hard to comprehend what has actually been achieved. It’s incredibly hard to to comprehend. And I think that what this really lines up for me is the question next of like how good can this guy be? Suryanchi we seeing him mentioned alongside the likes of Asachin Tendulka now who debuted in test cricket at about the age of 16. Um the there’s so many greats. We had one come out to our shores during the Border Gasket trophy as well um who was scoring tons at 19. It’s um in Jawal and it’s like these guys are good and they’ve gone before him and he’s already at the same age better than what they were doing. Um it’s absolutely unremarkable. It shows you the rude health that Indian cricket is in with the depth that they’ve got um with guys like this coming through their systems who are able to step out into the big stage and just dominate so quickly. So it’s frightening uh as a as a fan of the Australians um wanting to hold that Border Gavasa trophy for as long as possible and and World Cups, not to mention those. But yeah, um it’s it’s just remarkable to watch and I think you’ve just got to stand and applaud. And mate, to any of the skeptics out there saying, “Oh, he’s not 14, whatever. He’s he’s older than that. And how could he be 14 doing this? I don’t give a If he’s 15, if he’s 16, if he’s 17, it’s still the quickest century by an Indian. It’s still unbelievable for what he’s done regardless. But he is 14 years old. Embrace it. Uh and this absolute prodigy of Indian cricket. I just cannot wait to follow his progress in coming years, Maxi, and what that means, you know, for international scene and all these sorts of things. But something absolutely special. Moving our attention over to English County Cricket and the Aussies in action there. Uh and the man to stand out this week is Marcus Harris. 706 runs maxi in his nine innings so far. Now I can’t imagine despite the runs in the conditions that his name will be on the Australian team sheet in the 11 for the World Test Championship final. But even as we move towards the ashes at the end of the year, we know there is pressure for the Australian opening spot. There’s Kawaja there. There’s still trying to fill this void left by David Warner and it’s still up for grabs in my opinion and I think everyone in Australian cricket’s opinion. So with runs at the start of the Shield season, if he can do that back on Aussie turf after doing it in England, he’s in his early 30s, you know, what’s he got to do and how far is he off being the man to fill that void at the top of the order? We know he’s had cracks before. Can he do it? Will they take a gamble on him again? How do you see it? Yeah, I I think that as we say when it comes to to batting, right, like runs a currency and right now he’s absolutely filling the bank and getting as many credits as possible. um to have himself in the best position to to to take an opening spot. Um will it be in the world test championship? Well, I guess we’ll find out, right? Like I I’d be shocked if he wasn’t in a squad um and at least given a chance to impress when that team does come together to contend this match in less than a month’s time. But I guess the thing that we need to remember that yes, we’ve got Constus there as an option. I’d say that when it comes to Australian conditions, based on what he did loosely last summer, he’s going to get an opportunity to show what he can do when it comes to the Ashes. And you got to remember as well, like um there is no um Bumra this this summer for the Aussies. Like England are good and I think they’re going to come out here with some really quality quicks, but there’s no one harder to face in world cricket than Jasper Bumra. So who’s not to say that uh Constus isn’t going to turn those starts that he got in the uh India series into some big tons but the guy at the other end for Australia as well Kawaja would you be shocked if he retired at the end of this Ash series and I think that that’s where it comes into um consideration for Harris and the importance of just continuing to score runs at at every turn is because um we could be sitting here having this conversation in 12 months time again looking for an opening partner for Sam Constasm And look, there’s not a lot of other people at the moment putting a hand up. You know, we speak about the likes of Braftoft Harris. Harris is going to be probably 33 years old in 12 months time. Well, not probably. It probably will be because he’s 32 at the moment. Huge chance that he will be. Huge chance in 12 months time he’s a year older than today. But I I think it’s just important that he just keeps on going. And um it’s really good to see an Aussie fighting form, particularly just with this world uh test championship fast approaching because this South African bowling uh unit, I’ll give you the hot tip, mate. They’re pretty scary. They got a lot of quicks and I think they’re going to really suit the conditions as well. Yeah, that’s it, mate. And like I I used to be in the boat of, you know, look to to blood for the future and not to say don’t give BS opportunities, but if you know, if they’re aging, you got to look at the future a little bit, but nowadays I sit there and I see like an Ashes series and as you said, mate, runs are currency and if he comes in off the back of an outstanding county stint, even just to put his hand up, no, I’m going to go over there. I’m going to hit um runs in Red Bull cricket against some outstanding cricketers. If he comes back and starts the Shield season with runs, all I want to do is beat the Palms 5-nil. And I don’t care how old that bloke is. If he’s in form, he’s coming in, then pick him. So, if we can continue to do it, who knows, mate. The other one on this list, Harry Conway, 5 for 68 and 3 for 43 for Northampton. She one of your men on fire. Yeah, big Harry Conway. He uh former New South Welshman uh and also now former South Australian. Um Big Harry, he’s one of the best characters in the game. He moved over to South Australia a number of years ago and cars had a pretty decent career there playing a bit of first class cricket, white ball cricket as well. Even even got a few big bash games in, but he lost his South Australian contract now and has moved full-time over to the English county system. Um not surprised that he’s going to find uh a bit of fortune over there as well given the fact that he’s about 6’8 uh and he can move the ball. Um, uh, the fact that he’s about only bowls about 125 clicks isn’t isn’t too bad as well over in England. That tends to get batters out over there. So, um, yeah, good to see him doing well and I’m not sure quite I’m not quite sure what the future will hold for Harry Conway. I do know that he does hold a New Zealand passport as well, courtesy of his of his parents’ lineage. Um, but yeah, it’s just really good to I guess to see him performing well as he gets into the twilight of his career. Bit of Ben Stokes about him, mate. Take your pick of what uh who you want to represent. Plenty of options, mate. Let’s get over to the state domestic contract rap uh in Australia. Obviously, a lot of news coming out during the week. We’ll go through state by state and just touch on the key ins and outs at each state. And let’s start at South Australia because Harry Conway, I mean, he’s the big out, isn’t he? What else we got there? Not a lot. Yeah, he’s the big out. And look, this is like my favorite time of year if I’m big cricket enough. This is where you get the new toys. Seeing the the guys who have either changed states, been promoted to full-time contracts, or just come from the clouds through their various grade system, Christmas Day for Max Bride and domestic state contracts. Yeah, it is. And I’ve got absolutely no shame in saying that either. Um, but the big in for South Australia is actually one of their own returning home and that’s Hano Jacobs. Now, he’s a really fascinating one in the sense that um he was in the New South Wales system last year, played a number of Shield games and one day games and was offered a full-time contract there, but rejected it to returned home to South Australia. Now, he only found his way to New South Wales via uh moving to the doing his university studies after high school in CRA. He went to CRA to study to be an actuary, which um if you don’t know what that means, means that he’s smarter than you and I combined. um and and was good enough to become an actuary, become a full-time athlete and has now moved back to South Australia. So um there it’s almost one of the things it’s like what isn’t he good at um cuz he’s a bit of a rooster as well. But yeah, he’s a he’s a big in for them. Um quality fast bowler and an emerging allrounder as well. So I can see him playing a lot of shield cricket for them this year, mate. Down south in Tasmania, a couple of big ins there. Jackson Bird, you have a few boys in world cricket that you love in Australian state cricket. Jackson Bird, he’s number one. Uh what else we got there? Yeah, he’s he’s up there, the big the big bird. Um I think that he’s a huge get for them. He’s just enjoyed a couple of years returning home to his home state of New South Wales, but his family’s in Tazzy, so I think he always had designs to finish his career there, and it’s good he’s able to go down as a player and not just a coach. Um the other really interesting one for them is Big Marcus Bean, whose jersey is actually just behind you on the shelf there. Um he people would remember him from the Big Bash this year for the Hobart Hurricanes, 210 centimeters tall. He’s got a duck when he goes through the doorway, but he’s only been playing cricket for 3 years. Um, he’s a monster and they really like their projects down in Tazzay. So, I think that he’ll get under the tutelage there of Bird and a few of their other quicks. Um, and realistically, he he he could be anything. Gone. Uh, mate, over at Western Australia, not a heap of movement. No. And that’s the way the West Australians like it, right? They really look after their own and they they keep the the door shut to the outside world. Um they’ve got Joel Curtis who’s a young wicket keeper who’s come into their squad. Uh he had a shield ton just prior to the big bash last year. Good young player. I guess the the the bigger news is probably the out which is Darcy Short. Now um Darcy’s domestic career didn’t really start until probably the age of 26 or 27 where uh he burst onto the scene at the Hobart Hurricanes again um with his T20 uh all round abilities. Um was able to turn that into a contract with West Australia and play a number of years there. um holds the record for the highest score in domestic one-day cricket in domest in Australia. Um a match I was lucky enough to be commentating at Hersel over 257 and about 23 sixes. Most of them just sitting glass panes splattering right behind me in the com box. It was fantastic. But he looks like he’s basically going to quietly step aside when it comes to the the 50 over and and the red ball stuff. Um he’s still contracted with the Adelaide Strikers this year. So you will see him in the big bash. But yeah, it’s it looks like it’s probably the getting closer to the uh the end than the start for Darcy Short. Yeah. Uh back down south at Victoria, the retirement of one of the greats of the game, Peter Siddle, but a bit of movement there. Yeah, absolutely. So, look, a couple of outs. Um Siddle, Josh Brown’s interesting one. He came down from Queensland grade cricket last year basically as a package deal uh as a way of moving him from the Brisbane Heat to the to the Melbourne Renegades and upping the salary that he was going to get. Um the big innings for them they’ve got two guys who I I quite like and are worth monitoring. One is Blake McDonald. Um he’s in a New South Walesman who has moved down there. He played I think the last year game of the season. Solid batsman. He’ll add some starch to their options there. Um the really exciting one is Ollie Peak. Now Ollie Peak has been talked about in cricketing circles for probably about the last two or three years because he’s been an underage player who’s been consistently elevated to the Australian under 19 team despite being, you know, still able to play there this year. basically um he’s a freak. He has got the ability we could keep. He is a 360° batter. He played for the Melbourne Renegades to end the season last year and he’s a gun. Um if you had to pick one rookie coming through the system at the moment who has got the potential to play in the international circuit, he would be a very safe option. Part-time wicket keeping or like moving into could be a long-term role? Uh he has been um more of a part-time wicket keeper. He actually bowls a bit of off spin as well. Um and not very talented then. No, I mean he’s got a few things going on and probably like most Victorians, he’s probably an absolute jet at AFL, too. But look, famous for his batting. That’s that’s all you need to know about him. Um that’s what’ll make him famous, mate. Uh at New South Wales, Lucky Shaw, we’ve seen him in and out of the Big Bash at times as well. What have you got there? A lot of outs coming from New South Wales. Yeah, the Blues have probably have been on the cusp of this for a little while, but it’s really the big out is experience in their squad right across the board. Like we we already mentioned Jack O Bird who leaves the Blues after a stunning Shield campaign um and leaves a big vacuum of experience in there with the ball, but um the likes of Dan Hughes and Moses Enri also haven’t picked up New South Wales contracts this year. Um Enrique’s retired from first class cricket uh publicly a couple of months ago. Um he will still be there for the big bash for the New South Wales Blues and I’d hope that he’d potentially love to be around for a couple of one day games as well. Um but Dan Hughes similarly he hasn’t he sort of been out of favor in the red ball for a little while. He’s got an absolutely immaculate record as we know in the 50 over form of the game. He scored I think the second most tons all time in that tournament in significantly less games than other people have played. He averages 57. Does the out of surprise you? Uh it does in the sense that he hasn’t done much wrong apart from be injured last year especially coinciding with the retirement of Moses Enriquez. Yeah, absolutely. And you talk about that that vacuum of experience that they’ve got. They’ve got in relatively similar roles or what they can offer in that sort of top to middle order. Yeah. And look, it is a changing economy in the sense that state contracts aren’t the be all and end all now. Like he will still be in contention to be selected when the games are on. But not having him around the squad uh is a bit of a change. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him dip in and out of the T20 circuit globally for years. I was going to say, would there be a bit of, you know, personal decision in this as well with his white ball form? Is it him, you know, chasing a bit of the cash and playing that circuit as a bit of a veteran of the game? Yeah, I think so. And he was the leading run scorer in last year’s English T20 blast competition. Um, so he certainly got some runs on the board, so to speak. Chase that money, huge. That’s what I’d be doing if I had any talent. Mate, at Queensland to wrap it up, the Sheffield Shield finalist, what have we got there? Yeah, look, so the the big is really um a young guy Tom Straker who’s an Aussie under 19 squad member, fast bowler who’s been upgraded to a full-time full-time contract and again just another guy with a lot of potential who will go really well. The big out is actually Bryce Street who only a couple of years ago was in an O squad as an opener. Um he was likened to Rahul Dra as Australia’s version of the wall just for his defensive prowess. But um the likes of Matt Renshaw, Angus Levelvel at Queensland have really kind of stepped up to take those opening spots. There’s just no room for Strey anymore. So um unfortunately his shot at the top level looks like it’s on the back burner for now, but I’m sure that he’ll be pushing hard to get back there through second level cricket. Very well summarized, Max. You’ve done the heavy lifting on today’s show. As we said, guys, uh the IPL at a standstill as is the PSL. So a bit shorter and sharper today. Hopefully all going to plan. It’s back on deck. We’ll be back next week with plenty more to talk about. Uh but for now, Maxi, that might do us. That’s our update for the week. Yeah, I like that, man. Shorter, sharper, to the point. This is the off-field stuff as well. That’s where I thrive. You do? You love it. Yeah. Uh all right, guys. Hope you enjoyed today’s show and all going to plan. More cricket in action. will be back next week.
