ESPNcricinfo has learned that Brook’s decision to pull out was conveyed by ECB officials to the BCCI last week, and then relayed to Delhi Capitals, who bought Brook for INR 6.25 crore at the IPL mega auction last November.
Either way, the decision leaves him vulnerable to a two-year ban from the IPL. The new rule was put in place ahead of the 2025 auction, and is based on feedback from all 10 franchises who expressed frustration at a history of late pullouts by overseas players.
In a note to franchises last September, the IPL said: “Any [overseas] player who registers for [an] auction and, after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season will get banned from participating in the IPL/IPL auction for two seasons.”
The only exception, the governing council said, will be for “an injury/medical condition, which will have to be confirmed by the [player’s] home board”.
The 2025 IPL will start from March 22 with Capitals’ opening fixture coming against Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam on March 24. In addition to finding a replacement for Brook, Capitals also are yet to announce their captain.
Additional reporting by Andrew Miller
