Players will commence fitness drills at home grounds: Bharat Arun
Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun stated that players will have to begin with running and other fitness drills at respective home grounds amid the nationwide lockdown. With inter-state travel still restricted due to COVID-19 pandemic, the players are refrained from training in a group, presently. The 57-year-old also asserted players will take at least six weeks to achieve match fitness. Here is more.
"Partially, the lockdown is lifted but inter-state travel is going to be a problem. The players will be going to their respective hometown, the grounds that are available, they would do their running and they would also combine it with skill-work," said Arun.
Arun revealed the players will take at least 6-8 months in order to get match-ready. "It'd take us at least 6-8 weeks for us to play international matches, whereby we'd be first working on the skill, and fitness in the camps. Then we'll progress onto match simulations, and hopefully the BCCI can organize a tournament just before we play the international matches," he added.
Arun reiterated that lockdown will give the players ample time to recover from respective injuries. "Very rarely does an international cricketer, especially our bowlers, would get this kind of time to work on their fitness," he said. "Also, it is a wonderful opportunity for them to get over the little niggles, that they may have got over the long season."
Reportedly, the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) is aiming to organize a fitness camp for contracted cricketers in the second half of June. Treasurer Arun Dhumal recently stated the board may plan to conduct the camps after the government allowed certain relaxations. He added all developments are being monitored closely in a bid to resume the sport.
