Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid back IPL’s tough stance on Harry Brook ban

Dubai: Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have backed the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) tough stance on player withdrawals, saying Harry Brook’s likely two-year ban is fair.

Brook, who pulled out of the tournament at the last minute to focus on international cricket, is set to be banned until 2027 under the Indian Premier League’s new rules. While the governing council has yet to make an official announcement, Brook’s England teammates believe the decision is justified, arguing that franchises deserve protection from late withdrawals.

Brook, who was signed by Delhi Capitals for Rs62.5 million, withdrew from the tournament last minute, citing the need to “recharge” after a hectic schedule. Under IPL’s revised regulations, overseas players who pull out without a valid reason — such as injury or a family emergency — face a two-year suspension. Moeen and Rashid believe the rule is necessary to prevent teams from being left in the lurch.

“It’s not [harsh] though, I kinda agree with it,” Moeen said on the Beard Before Cricket podcast when asked about the potential ban. “A lot of people do that [withdrawing]. People have done it in the past, and then they come back in and end up getting a better financial package or whatever it is. It kinda messes up a lot of things as well at the same time.

“It’s messed his team [Delhi Capitals] up, him pulling out. Any team that loses Harry Brook is messed up a bit, and they’ve got to now rejig everything and stuff like that. Forget him for a second, if you do pull out, the rule is you get a ban, unless it’s a family reason or injury. If it’s injury, it’s different. But I think if you just pull out, then it’s … I kinda agree with it [the rules].”

Brook posted on social media last week that he needed “time to recharge after the busiest period in my career to date.” The 26-year-old, considered a front-runner to replace Jos Buttler as England’s white-ball captain, also withdrew from his contract with the Delhi side last season after the death of his grandmother.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been informed about Brook’s likely ban, an unnamed official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told The Indian Express.

The ban was part of a policy “informed to each player before they registered their name for the IPL auction last year,” the official said.

England leg-spinner Adil Rashid echoed Moeen’s sentiments, saying the rule was clear from the start.

“That’s the rule. If they actually put that rule in place before and then this happens, you know going in that this is the rule, where you put your name and you know if you pull out — this is gonna happen,” said Rashid, who was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad. “You know the consequences to it. So, I don’t think it’s harsh. If you pull out through injury or whatever it is, rules may differ or change in that way.”

While the IPL governing council has yet to make an official announcement, the new rule — implemented ahead of the 2025 season — was designed to deter late withdrawals and protect franchises from last-minute disruptions. With Brook’s case setting an early precedent, the league’s stance on player commitments is clearer than ever.