Team India players need six-eight weeks of training camp before international cricket: Bharat Arun

Bharat Arun, the bowling coach of the Indian cricket team, feels that the national players need six to eight weeks of training before they can step out for international cricket. At the present point in time, the cricketers are spending their time at their residence due to the coronavirus outbreak. They were supposed to play the IPL, which has been postponed for an indefinite time period.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement, saying that it was planning to organise an outdoor skill-based training camp for the men’s cricketers from May 18. But the plan had to be cancelled and the world’s richest cricket board said that no camp would be take place before May 31 before the fourth phase of the lockdown ends.

It can be boring: Bharat Arun

“For a professional sportsperson, to be sitting at home doing nothing can be very frustrating. Not being able to expand that energy is like a curse. It can be boring, can be extremely monotonous. But there’s no choice and therefore it’s a challenge that has to be taken up,” Arun was quoted as saying in The Times of India (TOI).

“The team management has identified that the cricketers will need camp lasting six to eight weeks to conduct this elevated training and optimum skill-based programme before they can walk out to play international cricket,” he stated.

Arun also mentioned that Indian speedster Mohammed Shami has been in constant touch with him over the last few days. The Bengal pacer is a part of Team India across all three formats.

“He keeps sending me videos and I keep talking to him, motivating him “Tu bas aise hi practice karte reh. Tera ek do saal aur career mein add ho jayega (Just keep bowling/practising like this. You’ll add a year or two to your career going forward,” he added.

Apart from the IPL, India’s ODIs against South Africa also had to be cancelled after the washed-out match in Dharamsala. They are scheduled for a Sri Lanka tour in July that hasn’t been postponed for the time being. Later this year, India are also scheduled to play the T20 World Cup followed by a bilateral series on Australian soil.