The fast bowler of the England cricket team Jofra Archer has registered his name for the upcoming IPL mega auction, which will be held on November 24 and 25 this month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At first, his name was missing from the list of 574 players. However, just a few days before the auction, he received his NOC from the ECB and is now set to participate in the event.
Why is Jofra Archer registered so late for the mega auction?
Reports suggest that Jofra Archer was upset about not getting his NOC from the English Cricket Board (ECB). This was especially frustrating because, according to BCCI rules, players who have played in the IPL before but skip the mega auction cannot participate in future IPL seasons for a few years.
Why England Cricket Board (ECB) did not want Jofra Archer to play in IPL?
Jofra Archer has faced many injuries in the past few years. Since he wants to return to Test cricket the ECB decided to keep him out of IPL 2025 to manage his workload. However, Archer was unhappy about not being allowed to play in the Indian Premier League.
“Mark Wood and Jofra Archer were on the initial longlist for the auction but then weren’t on the shortlist and it turns out by the sounds of it that the ECB have denied them NOCs [non-objection certificates. I am hearing there are some negotiations going on right now between the BCCI, the ECB and the agents,” cricket broadcaster Matt Kabir Floyd said on the It’s Not Just Cricket podcast.
Jofra Archer’s name is now on the shortlist, making him the 38th English player in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. The 29-year-old will be available for bidding in Jeddah during the auction.