Ricky Ponting’s courageous act revealed as unexpected ceasefire forces IPL backflip

The Indian Premier League could resume as soon as this week following the unexpected ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

On Friday, the glamorous T20 tournament was postponed following the escalation of cross-border tensions between the south Asian nations, with the Indian government firing several missiles at Pakistan-controlled land.

Thursday’s match between the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala – near the Pakistan border – was abandoned after 10.1 overs due to air raid warnings in the area, with players, staff and commentators ushered out of the venue in near-darkness.

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The United Arab Emirates and England offered to host the remainder of the tournament, but News Corp has reported the IPL could resume in India as early as Thursday following the unexpected ceasefire.

The ten IPL franchises now face the challenge of recalling international players and coaching staff that fled the country, with Australian stars potentially having to turn back after flying home over the weekend.

The likes of Justin Langer, Mike Hussey, Tim David, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis have each touched down in Australia, while according to local reports, Punjab coach Ricky Ponting disembarked a flight out of India when news broke of the ceasefire, with the cricket legend also convincing anxious players to stay in the country.

Punjab Kings' coach Ricky Ponting. AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia Source: AP

There are 16 matches left in the IPL season, with local media reporting that southern cities Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad could host the remaining fixtures.

The tournament was scheduled to conclude on May 25, but the final could be played at a later date due to the postponement. Australia’s World Test Championship final against South Africa gets underway at Lord’s on June 11, creating a potential squeeze for the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc if their respective franchises qualify for the knockouts.

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan have both accused each other of breaking the stalemate agreement, with reports of explosions in the border region of Kashmir three hours after the ceasefire.

International players are understandably fearful of returning to the war-threatened region, with Australian stars considering withdrawing from the remainder of the T20 tournament. Cricket Australia will reportedly defend any players that refuse to return to India on safety grounds.

Spectators leave after the Indian Premier League match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was abandoned. Source: AFP

Elsewhere, a group of Australian cricketers playing in the postponed Pakistan Super League flew to Dubai four hours before Indian forces attacked the Pakistani air base from which they departed.

As first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Ashton Turner were on the flight that departed from Nur Khan military base, located about 10 kilometres from Islamabad, which was later struck by Indian missiles, destroying several homes and creating an outbreak of fires.

“The safety and welfare of our players and staff is always a core priority and we support today’s decision by the BCCI,” Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said.

“We continue to work closely with the Australian Government, PCB and BCCI and are maintaining regular communication with players and support staff in both India and Pakistan.”

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