England chiefs have given Chris Jordan the go-ahead to play in the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League even though it means the all-rounder may not be available for Test duty.
Sussex paceman Jordan is set to fly out to India later this week after being called up as the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s replacement overseas player, with former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson yet to recover from a foot injury.
Jordan enhanced his reputation as a white-ball ‘death’ bowler during England’s recent run to the World Twenty20 final at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens ground, taking six wickets in a tournament where his side finished runners-up to the West Indies.
It is nearly a year since Jordan, 27, made the last of his eight Test appearances but fellow seamer Mark Wood’s ankle operation last week might have taken him closer to a recall in the five-day format.
However, the IPL will still be in progress when England begin their home Test season against Sri Lanka at Headingley next month.
Until recently, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) barred players from appearing in the IPL if that meant they were unavailable for Test selection and this was one of many sources of tension between officials and former star batsman Kevin Pietersen.
But under ECB director Andrew Strauss, the former England captain, the board have softened their stance in a bid to help improve the team’s performances in limited overs cricket.
“We are happy to support Chris in his decision to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2016,” Strauss said Monday.
“Participating in the tournament will be a good opportunity for him to further develop his white-ball skills and experience.”
