I would like to pen a sincere and honest appeal to BCCI. The Board of Control for Cricket in India. This appeal is regarding much needed rest for the Indian players. They have been on the road for more than 2 years inside the so-called bubble and on the road for more than 13 years since the start of the IPL. Ofcourse, BCCI or someone in the BCCI is not even going to read this blog but I would like to appeal to the board.
The current times are pretty difficult for everyone. More so for the cricketers. Covid has devastated the entire world and it is still going strong in a lot of countries. Cricket and other sports have resumed but under strict bio-secure bubble. We are know what the terms are under bio bubble. It takes a heavy load both mentally and physically. In countries like Australia and New Zealand, it is even more strict. Though it is slightly more relaxed in India, it is still there. Such oppressive conditions is not giving the players a decent enough break where they could spend time outside of cricket, outside of their cricketing family.
Of all the cricketers around the world, it is the Indians who are under the maximum stress because of the bubble. Let me explain.
Over the last couple of years
I will restrict myself to the last 2 years. Since the start of the virus. The pressure, the stress were all magnified manifold since the last 2 years. Though the workload in terms of number of games played has remained the same over the last 13 years, atleast the players were free to roam around, meeting family and friends, eat at a restaurant. It helped to relieve the stress and because of that the players were much more focussed. However, over the last 2 years, none of these were even remotely possible. It has taken a heavy toll on their performance and also on the players themselves. It will not be a wonder if in the future, players will want shorter careers and gravitate towards IPL and other leagues around the world.
The sheer schedule is tiring
Ever since Corona arrived, the Indian players were engaged in non-stop action. They had a good break just before the start of the 2020 IPL because the board did not know what to do. It was the ECB who showed the way to conduct international series inside the bubble. Once BCCI came to know how to get things done, they went in with complete disdain. The IPL 2020 was conducted under closed doors but the Indian players were required to be under the bubble for over a month before the IPL. The IPL itself went for 2 months and it was immediately followed by the Australia tour which took a further 3 months.
Upon return, India played a full blown test series against England for 2 months which led directly into IPL 2021. Luckily for the players, it was stopped midway and as a result the players got some rest but again had to spend close to 5 months in England which was immediately followed by the 2nd leg of IPL 2021, then South Africa and now West Indies. On the whole, the Indian players have been on the road for close to 17 months. Remember all of these inside the bubble. It literally means that they were without any sort of social life for 17 months. Mental fatigue is bound to set-in if it already hasn’t.
What are the effects because of this?
Since the players are always involved in one game or the other, it affects their performance a great deal. The recent series against South Africa is a prime example. Here was a team ripe for the taking and for India to create history. Instead, India lost the series comprehensively. With proper rest and proper planning, this series could have been won perhaps even 3-0. The 2021 T20 World Cup, it was held in Asia and naturally, India were the firm favourites but just because they had flown into the tournament directly from the IPL and they were all quite jaded, they weren’t able to go beyond the first round. This is from the team’s perspective.
What about from the individual player’s perspective?
None of them are able to work on their skills away from the media glare and without the constant pull of games. Take the case of Pujara, Rahane and Kohli. All the 3 have been struggling for the better part of the last 3 years. In Rahane’s case, it extends to more than 5 years. Ofcourse, Rahana and Pujara do not have any recourse but they are not part of the limited overs squad. However, Kohli who is involved in all the formats, is now struggling to score runs. It has been 3 years since he has scored a hundred in any format.
If only he is given time, he can move away from the prying eyes of the media, work on his shortcomings and chinks in his armour. It will only help Indian cricket in the medium and long term because whenever Kohli scores, he deflates the opposition. A hungry Kohli is a dangerous Kohli for the opponents. What about the bowlers? Bowlers need hours and hours of bowling to not only perfect their art but to work on variations. They need time to plot against every opponent. The old cliché practice makes perfect cannot be understated.
What about the paying public?
Most of us are really jaded by the continuing onslaught of games everywhere. We too want a break. We cannot take it anymore. Take the case of the current series against West Indies. I do not see that much interest is there to watch the series. This is not because of the uncompetitive nature of West Indies cricket but it is too many games for our senses.
A sincere and honest appeal to BCCI final words
I know IPL cannot be cancelled. After the IPL is finished, please cancel every other series from May till August. This will give the Indian players to get back into the real world. They can work on their skills, spend time with family and friends and in general, can be relaxed.
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