A Sunriser event

Ahead of IPL 2020 in UAE, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan says motivating players is the easiest

While countries around the world are unlocking themselves and getting used to the new normal, for former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, who is currently the bowling coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) in the IPL, life has been a tad different.

To begin with, Muralitharan, fondly known as Murali, tells us that life after the lockdown has been something unprecedented. “COVID-19 in Sri Lanka wasn’t as severe as it was around the world, so, thankfully, life hasn’t been tragic back home,” he shares. “We did not have a stringent lockdown either. But life is slowly coming back to the normal.”

The former ace off-spinner goes on to add that the pandemic has seemingly taught the world a lot.

“Mankind began believing that nobody could disturb the human race, but nature proved it wrong. So I think people have started looking at life and think differently. They have realised that nothing is permanent and nothing can be taken for granted,” opines Murali.

IN A BUBBLE

The IPL is set to commence in a week, although the legendary spinner shares that playing the game in a bio-secure bubble with COVID-19 precautions in mind will be a different experience. “But let me tell you: motivating the players is the easiest thing to do because there’s nothing much to do other than cricket. You can’t shop or hang out anywhere, so the entire focus of the players will be on cricket,” he says with a chuckle.

As for the novelty of playing in a bio-secure bubble, Murali believes that as most of the sportsmen have been confined to their houses during the lockdown, getting used to playing in the bubble would not pose a difficulty. “That being said, it is important that players have the mental strength to cope with challenges,” he adds. And yet, the players will have to play to the empty stands. While we wonder if the players would still be able to enjoy the game as they used to, Murali agrees that it will be a completely different experience. “We are trying to motivate the players and have been training hard to make sure that nothing affects us. Of course, players are professionals and they know what is expected of them. But yes, it is disappointing to play without a crowd. But we know fans are extending all their love and support for the Orange Army from wherever they are.”

IN ANTICIPATION

Despite the frenzy and excitement for the upcoming

IPL, there’s been a raging debate o n whether sporting even ts around the world should resume, given the pandemic situation. Where does Murali find himself in that debate?

The cricketer, who holds the world record for the most wickets in both Test and One-day cricket, feels that there’s a growing need to look from the franchises’ perspective too. “There’s a lot at stake for the franchises too, and they need to be heard. But the tournaments are now designed to be played with all the safety precautions,” he adds.

As we get towards the end of the interaction, Murali talks to us about the good mix of young and experienced players comprising the SRH team.

We’ve been offering many opportunities to youngsters this time, and we are hoping that they all come to the party. The team is also focusing on strengthening the middle order