Crickets Powerful Nations Need To Safeguard The Sports Financial Future
Tue, Aug 18, '20
Exhausted after a grueling Test tour of England to restart international cricket, beleaguered West Indies players and support staff faced extra delays returning home last month due to the wrath of Tropical Storm Gonzalo.
With the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) – the region’s T20 franchise tournament – imminent, players then had to quarantine on arrival in Trinidad and Tobago due to the island nation’s strict rules due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The logistical nightmare and mental fatigue are the new challenges facing professional cricketers in these grim times.
A gallant West Indies lost a riveting three-Test series played in Southampton and Manchester, where players and support staff stayed in the on-site hotels and followed strict bio-security measures. After a memorable first Test victory, the tired tourists fell away after spending 51 days confined essentially to cricket grounds.
“Mentally…playing cricket in bio-secure conditions is tough for cricketers and support staff,” Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive Johnny Grave told me during a phone interview. “Being in a bio-secure environment for seven weeks and then having to lockdown again has been very difficult. But they are professional sportsmen and back doing the job they love.”
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