Mental comfort a must

We will love the cricket even if we cannot get into the stadium. Any way you hack it the fact it is being held in the UAE is a matter of pride and in this pandemic ridden global state the Emirates offers the least dangerous venue. One can make this assertion with confidence because the rules here will not be bent or compromised and safety will stay paramount.

Yes, for the relatively rusty players, living in a bubble may need some adjustments but the advantage here is the availability of multiple activities to reduce stress and add enjoyment to any break from training and playing.

Cricket aside, the world class golf courses, the access to gyms and swimming pools even in the hotels and other entertainment options all in a short radius make the choice that much more logical. There is so much to do even in rigid conditions.

For players the mental comfort is going to be of paramount importance. With 3.5 million Indians in situ the going to ‘phoren’ element is subdued and the atmosphere almost akin to a home away from home.

Even a range of diets to suit every palate is readily available and though all these factors may seem to add up to a bit of spoiling the stakes for players is very high and they have to get tuned up not just physically but also in the mind. You mess up your game in the IPL you drop down the snake in your cricketing career.