India coach Ravi Shastri said that the team has already switched to limited overs mode, days after their historic first Test series triumph in Australia. With 2019 being the year of the World Cup, Virat Kohli & Co will
The first step in keeping the players injury-free will be judicious breaks, especially those who play all three formats of the game. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah, for instance, won’t be playing the ODIs in Australia and New Zealand after starring in the four-Test series.
But with the Indian Premier League happening right before the 50-over World Cup, the question of workload management becomes even more important as franchises will want the big-ticket players to take part in all games.
Shastri said that the Indian team management have been in touch with BCCI and have a plan in place to keep Indian cricketers fresh for the World Cup.
“We’ve been in touch with the BCCI and CoA in this regard. We have certain plans in place and we’ll be looking to follow them. Usually, the two months of IPL are seen as relatively free months for me and I can just sit down and enjoy the cricket, watch out for new, young talents that keep emerging. But this IPL will be about monitoring the players, keeping the World Cup in mind,” he told The Times of India in an interview.
“There’s a lot coming up and you’ll see the right measures being taken. The trainer, physios, assistant coaches, the captain, me – we’re all in touch with the Board to make this work,” he added.
The ODIs in the Tasman islands will be India’s most crucial ties and will focus on preparation that the result. “We’re not bothered about winning or losing these games,” the India coach said.
Talking about the burnout concerns, he clarified that remaining injury free and maintaining fitness are different things.
“Look, injury sustained during play is one thing and maintaining an overall level of fitness at this level is another. You can’t do much about injuries. You can’t control them. But you can certainly make sure that your fitness levels match the highest standards. When I took over for the second time (as coach), I was very clear that fitness of players will be paramount and that’s the one thing we’ve pursued with great discipline. Barring a few instances, the players have largely made for a fit unit. That aside, a lot of credit goes to how the support staff has played their part here,” he said.
Read the full interview here
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!