Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for reportedly pressuring overseas cricketers to return for the remainder of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to resume on May 17. The league was paused last week following heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan.

After the BCCI announced the resumption of the tournament on Monday night, concerns arose across franchises regarding the availability of foreign players. Most overseas cricketers had flown back to their home countries following the abrupt suspension, with some undertaking multi-leg journeys. According to reports, the Indian cricket board has urged other national boards to ensure the return of their players, a move that Johnson has publicly questioned.

Writing in his column for The West Australian, Johnson expressed strong reservations about the situation. He stated that if faced with a similar decision, he would opt not to return. “Lives and safety are the most important thing, not pay cheques,” he wrote, adding that returning to a tournament amid such tensions should be a personal choice and not one made under duress.

"If I had to make a call whether to head back to India and finish the tournament, it would be an easy decision. It's a no from me. Lives and safety are the most important thing, not pay cheques. It's a personal decision. No one should be coerced or feel pressured into going back, even if the IPL and Pakistan Super League, which has also been halted, push hard for it. Both tournaments should just end now or consider moving, which then becomes a huge financial issue," he wrote.

 

While Australia appears to be less impacted—with only Pat Cummins and Travis Head having agreed to return, and their team Sunrisers Hyderabad already out of the playoff race—other cricket boards, such as Cricket South Africa (CSA), face more complex challenges. South Africa’s head coach Shukri Conrad has indicated that their players are expected to be back home by May 26.

Johnson pointed out that unlike Australia, which has allowed its players to decide for themselves, other boards might not offer the same autonomy. He noted that, while players are technically free to choose, saying no could have professional or financial consequences.

He added that players are currently assessing the risks and broader implications of returning to India. “Ultimately, the choice should be about what feels safest and most right for each individual, rather than just a commitment to a franchise or winning a tournament,” he said.

Johnson also raised concerns over the scheduling clash between the IPL final, now set for June 3, and the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, which begins just a week later. He remarked that preparation for what is considered the pinnacle of Test cricket could be affected, especially for players involved in both tournaments.

He further pointed out that South Africa seems to be taking a stricter approach than Australia regarding player participation, which he found noteworthy given the financial links between Indian cricket and South Africa’s SA20 league.