Ex-IPL Winner Prioritizes Player Safety as Overseas Stars Return for IPL 2025

Mitchell Johnson is among the finest fast bowlers his era ever produced and he won the Indian Premier League twice with the Mumbai Indians in 2013 and 2017. While Johnson has had great success in the IPL, he now requests players such as Pat Cummins and other foreign stars not to come back to India as the T20 league resumes following a break brought about by the Indo-Pak war. He feels that no cricket match is worth endangering lives and safety. According to Johnson, Cricket Australia has given permission to the players but this decision is not easy. Not playing may land players in trouble later in their career or in finances but safety should be prioritized.

Johnson expressed forcefully that if he were on their team he would never go back to India under these circumstances. He mentioned that it would be a simple choice for him to refuse to return. Safety and lives are more important to him than money or contracts. The same sentiment is not only about IPL but also about the Pakistan Super League which is experiencing the same issues with players refusing to return. Johnson believes that it should be a voluntary decision without coercion from the organizers. He recommends that perhaps both tournaments should finish now or shift to safer destinations even if it results in enormous financial issues.

Johnson has also observed that South Africa is being more stringent than Australia. Cricket South Africa has given players a deadline to report back by May 27 while Cricket Australia is giving players the freedom of choice. Johnson takes an interest in this variation particularly as South Africa has financial relations with India through their own league SA20. With the IPL final now being moved to June 3 and only a week before the World Test Championship final begins at Lord's, this also impacts players' preparation for what is an extremely significant Test match. Johnson opines that pressure on players is immense due to these timing changes.

Ultimately Johnson's core message is that the players' safety and lives are of more importance than any tournament or amount of money involved. He is in favor of players being patient and doing what they think best without having to return to a dangerous situation. This is just evidence that even iconic champions who have won the IPL twice realize that life is more important than cricket or contracts. His appeal to such players as Cummins is just don't come back if you do not feel safe because no title is worth risking your life.

Johnson's remarks are made at a time when the cricketing world remains divided about dealing with the situation with the IPL and Pakistan Super League restarting following the Indo-Pak conflict disruption. Some boards prefer players to return soon to complete tournaments whereas others leave it up to players to decide. Johnson obviously finds himself among the ones who believe player safety and personal preference should take precedence even if this means the leagues lose profits or must be canceled or rescheduled.

This indicates how much the case has impacted cricket apart from the matches. It makes us question how much pressure there is on players to play in spite of danger and how governing authorities respond to their well-being. Johnson's candid perspective reminds us that even the best players prioritize health and safety above all else. It also reflects upon how tough and uncertain times are for foreign stars who have to consider their families and their future when they choose whether to go back into perilous conditions just to finish a cricket tournament.

So whereas IPL fans might wish to get their stars on the field again some players and observers are of the opinion it is always safest to err on the side of caution and save lives instead of hurrying back on to the field. Mitchell Johnson's remarks might bring others to stand up and place life first regardless of the size of the purse or how critical the tournament appears. Cricket after all is only a game but life is invaluable.