New Delhi, March 18 Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has given the all-clear for Marco Jansen to join the IPL late, considering that the South African all-rounder was among the last group of players who departed from India late after the T20 World Cup due to logistical issues.
South African and West Indies players were stranded in India for more than a week after their World Cup campaigns. Some of them, including West Indies head coach Daren Sammy and Proteas batter David Miller, also expressed their frustration over the delay in their departure from India due to the restricted operations of major airports like Dubai and Abu Dhabi amid the West Asia conflict.
Jansen, a key member of the PBKS unit, will join the squad on March 26. Ponting and most of the foreign players are expected to join the team on March 21.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will join the team on March 23 from Kabul. His country is currently involved in a conflict with Pakistan.
In their first year with PBKS, the Ponting and Shreyas Iyer combination took the franchise to the final last season, its first since 2014.
"Ricky fully supports his players. Considering Marco left late from India, he understands the need for giving him adequate time at home," a source told