Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has opined on the two-year ban given to Harry Brook by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after his last-minute pull-out from the IPL. Ali, appearing on the Beard Before Cricket podcast, said that he does not find the ban "harsh" and in fact supports the decision.
Brook's withdrawal is the second year in a row that he has withdrawn from the IPL after being auctioned. Moeen Ali justified his position: "It's not (harsh) though, I kinda agree with it," he replied when asked why he was banned. "A lot of people do that (withdrawing). People have done it before, and then they come back in and wind up getting a better financial package or whatever it is. It kinda screws up a lot of things as well at the same time."
Brook, who was destined to play for Delhi Capitals during the next season of IPL on March 22, had initially been purchased by Delhi Capitals during the November 2024 mega auction for Rs 6.25 crore. But his pulling out has completely disrupted the planning of the team, says Moeen. "It's messed his team (Delhi Capitals) up.". Any side that loses Harry Brook is f__ed up a bit, and they've got to now reshuffle the whole thing and all that," Moeen said.
Moeen also noted that the IPL's regulation is very simple: withdrawing players after being auctioned get a two-year ban, except in cases of injury or family issues. "If you do pull out, the regulation is you receive a ban, apart from a family reason or injury. If it's injury, it's not the same. But I believe if you just pull out, then it's… I kinda concur with it (the regulations)," Moeen further added.
Brook had also pulled out of the 2024 IPL season earlier upon the death of his grandmother. Under the new IPL regulation, any overseas player who makes himself unavailable after being selected in the auction will be suspended for two seasons, forcing them to miss the tournament as well as any further auctions until the next season, in Brook's case, meaning he will not be able to play or join the auction until the 2027 season.
With IPL scheduled to start on March 22, the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens.
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