DHAKA, June 14, 2020 (BSS) — Bangladesh cricketers believe they need to be mentally tougher to get them into the zone once they return to the cricket ground.
A long lay-off from the cricket, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, is something that cricketers had to accept but they kept themselves engaged in intense fitness and gym session at the home following the guideline of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
“But you know the practice in ground and the practice at home couldn’t be same always,” Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque said.
“It’s always tough to remain at home due to the prevailing situation but there is no way. You can’t take risk of playing cricket when the situation is not normal. Life always comes first and then cricket. But I admit it will be tougher to get us into the zone once we’ll get back to the cricket. We need to be mentally tough to cope with every situation,” he added.
It will be particularly tougher for the fast bowlers to hit the rhythm as they hardly could bowl with proper run-up at their home.
“The situation is such that you can’t play cricket at the ground right at this moment. So we are practicing at home. It’s tougher to bowl with proper run-up at the home. I am still trying to bowl,” fast bowler Abu Jayed Rahi said.
Rahi who is also continuing to aid the people hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic said he can bowl with his usual run-up at his Sylhet home’s yard.
“But still you can’t feel the impression of bowling at the ground. It won’t be. I know this will be tougher to get into the zone once we’ll return to the ground but we have to cope with it. We have to hit the rhythm as early as possible.”
Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed echoed the same, lamenting that the situation is particularly annoying for him.
“I was at good rhythm before the pandemic hit us hard. I am trying to cover it up with intense gym and training session at home but I don’t know how it would pan out when we return to the ground. Still I am hopeful that if I remain fit, I can overcome everything,” he said.
Another fast bowler Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury also thinks that the fitness is the key to help them cope with every adversity.
“Fitness is key. If you remain fit, you can get into your zone very quickly,” he said, adding that he emphasized more on his fitness.
“I am training hard at home, following the guidelines of the BCB. I am in touch with the support staffs and taking the advice what to do. Hopefully I will remain fit and can overcome everything when we return to the ground,” he added.
Meanwhile during the conversation with Tamim Iqbal in ‘Tamim Iqbal’s Live Show’ senior cricketers also stressed upon the mental fitness, which they believe, will be key to cope with the cricket.
“After long lay-off, it is always tough to adjust with the cricket and other things. So mental fitness is key always,” said Mushfiqur Rahim.
“You have to keep you charged up always. You can make you charged by proper fitness training at home right at the moment. If you are fit enough, it will overcome the psychological barrier.”