Former Indian cricket team captain and current BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly feels Indian players are mentally stronger than their Australian, English and West Indian counterparts, and this helps them in following the strict bio-secure protocols better.
After the Pakistan Super League had to be postponed midway owing to the virus cases in camps, the much-anticipated Indian T20 League is seeing the global virus’ second wave hitting the country with the tournament just days away.
The Indian T20 League has already seen players like Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh skipping the tournament after being unable to cope with the strict protocols, and Ganguly believes that his countrymen are more tolerant towards it.
“I feel we Indians are a bit more tolerant than overseas (cricketers),” Sourav Ganguly told PTI.
“I’ve played with a lot of Englishmen, Australians, West Indians, they just give up on mental health,” he added.
The board president, however, acknowledged the challenges linked with the bio-secure protocols. “In the last six-seven months, with so much cricket being going on in the bio-bubble it’s so tough,” Ganguly said.
“Just going from the hotel room to the ground, handle the pressure and come back to the room and then get back to the ground again, it’s an absolutely different life,” he pointed out.
Players staying in bio-bubble are not allowed to meet people outside it, which takes a toll on their motivation especially during a long tour or a month-long tournament like the Indian T20 League.
Sourav Ganguly also pointed out to the recent instance where the Australia cricket team pulled out of their South Africa tour citing an “unacceptable level of health and safety risk to players, support staff and the community”.
“Look at the Australian team, they were supposed to go to South Africa for a Test series after India played there. They refused to go there...
“… You have to stay positive, you have to train yourself mentally. All of us have to train ourselves mentally so that the good will happen. It boils down to training,” Ganguly added.
Though the Indian cricket team hasn’t skipped any tour or series since they resumed their campaign with a tour to Australia last November, captain Virat Kohli did mention his players are getting cooked owing to a hectic schedule and playing in bubbles.
Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Dibyangshu Sarkar
