Eric Simons, IPL 2020
13 Covid cases in the camp - but we start training tomorrow
Having 13 members of the Franchise test positive for Covid-19 was obviously a significant set back for all of us but we can be thankful that they are all pretty much entirely asymptomatic and basically healthy. It could have been a lot worse.
We have a ‘battery’ of net bowlers from Chennai who will be with us for the whole tournament providing a vital service for the batsmen and allowing the squad bowlers to rest. With our preparation time now shortened considerably, they are going to be even more important as we do not want to over bowl our squad before the tournament even starts. Cricket for many is virtually all year round and having a break of almost six months is something that is completely foreign to the guys and has created a unique sense of unease throughout the tournament.
Everybody has been treating the protocols with the utmost respect but, nonetheless, this was a lesson - if anybody needed it – of just how quickly the virus can spread. As seriously as everybody is taking the situation, it’s equally important not to be consumed and overwhelmed by it. We must also carry on with life and focus on why we’re here.
Coping with life in the bio-secure bubble and all that it entails will be a different experience for each individual. Some people quickly adapt and the ‘new normal’ is no problem. For others there can be a sense of claustrophobia, some anxiety and even stress. It’s so important to recognise that there is no ‘right way’ to react. Whatever emotions players are feeling, they are legitimate.
The coaching and management staff have been doing as much research as we can into the experiences of other sports teams who have been through periods of quarantine or isolation. We have made contact with a couple of the Aussie Rules teams and also Burnley Football club in England to find out how the players coped with living and training in their bubble and then how performance and confidence was affected as the Premier League restarted.
We always talk about the one percenters in the IPL and how they can make a big difference – there’s no doubt that the teams which cope best with this extraordinary environment will have an advantage, so any advice or strategies we can pick up could be valuable knowledge. Ten or 11 weeks is a very long time to be living in such unusual conditions.
Faf and Lungi arrived early this week from SA so they still have a few days isolation to go but for the rest we start training fully on Friday and there’s going to be a lot of unfamiliar detail to remember. Bowlers will use their own ball at all times and keep their own training bibs. Even though we will all have tested negative and theoretically can’t catch the virus from each other, they are sensible safety measures and we’ll do everything we can to abide by them.
Our next challenge is to get Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir, Sam Curran and Josh Hazelwood from their current bubbles into our CSK bubble. We’re not sure whether they will have to undergo another period of isolation or quarantine or whether the transfer from one bubble into another will be adequate. How times have changed. There are still so many unknowns.
It was a blow to lose Suresh Raina but, as I said, everybody reacts differently and we completely respect his feelings and decision to leave. He is far from alone in having concerns.
Meanwhile, my putting is better than ever and I know every single contour on my hotel room carpet. I’m holing 10-footers at will these days. If only that was the case on the golf course. Room service is still very good. Pretty much tried everything now…
