Australia's limited overs skipper Aaron Finch believes it would be difficult for players who have pulled out of the white ball tours of West Indies and Bangladesh to justify returning to finish off the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The IPL was suspended last month after several players and backroom staff tested positive for COVID-19 but the Indian Cricket board plans to complete the lucrative tournament in the United Arab Emirates in September and October.
Pat Cummins, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell were among seven players with IPL contracts who have decided not to go on back-to-back tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh in July and August, while Steve Smith will miss the trips through injury.
"This is only my personal opinion but I think they would find it hard to justify going back and playing that second half of the IPL," Finch told former Test player Adam Gilchrist on a Perth radio station.
"Just purely based on the workload coming up with a T20 World Cup and a huge home summer.
"It's a tough situation that everyone has been put in, but personally I would find it hard to do that knowing how difficult it is and how challenging it is mentally, and on your family as well. That's what I would think."
Australia's chief selector Trevor Hohns made it clear this week that players were expected to put national duties ahead of the IPL, especially with the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled for October and November.
Finch, who did not play in the IPL, said the players who had decided not to go on tour might find their places in the squad for the T20 World Cup under threat from their replacements.
"The guys who aren't there have probably left the door slightly ajar," Finch added.
"What that looks like when the T20 World Cup comes around, we'll have to wait and see."
