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IPL 2021 | Australia white-ball skipper Aaron Finch hints at players' availability

Australian limited overs captain Aaron Finch has said that Cricket Australia will decide the availability of national players in the remainder of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League on a ‘case-by-case basis.’ 

“I would imagine it would be conducted on a case-by-case basis by Cricket Australia,” Finch said on whether Australian superstars such as Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell will be available for the IPL likely to be scheduled in September this year.

When asked if players were looking to take a bit of a rest from international cricket, the right hander rejected the idea but said that given the size of the squad in the post covid era, player rotations could be a viable option.

“I don’t think the players themselves like resting from international cricket. But definitely, with the increased squad sizes due to Covid bubbles, there are a lot of players on tours, so we will need to look at options to ensure these players are playing games." Finch said.

The 14th edition of the IPL was postponed indefinitely in the aftermath of the outbreak of COVID-19 in various franchises. Australian players, in particular, had to wait for significantly longer before they were allowed to get back in the country and their homes.

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PSL 6: Andre Russell feels bubble life has taken a toll; grateful to be still playing

West Indian T20 superstar who would soon be turning out for Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League’s sixth edition, feels that bubble life is taking a toll on him. The Jamaican has been jumping bio-bubbles while travelling ever since cricket started post-pandemic. "I think it's taking a toll on myself," Russell said in an interview to Geo TV from his hotel quarantine in UAE. "I can't talk for any other player, or coaches or anyone that goes through this whole quarantine stuff. But it's definitely taken a toll on me mentally because from bubble to bubble, in a room locked in, you can't go out for a walk, you can't go certain places, you can't socialise, it's different,” added the 33-year-old. Having represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in the recently postponed Indian Premier League 2021, the Jamaican is back for PSL and would go back to play international cricket for his team in July and August before playing the Caribbean Premier League. Russell would then once again return for the IPL’s UAE leg in September. Several players across the world have pulled out of tournaments citing bubble fatigue, but Russell on the other hand says that he is rather grateful. "But at the end of the day, I'm not being ungrateful, I'm grateful that we're still playing, we're still doing our job. So it's tough for us. But even though we prepared for it, it still takes a toll," Russell said. One of the most travelled T20 players and in the elite list of all-rounders with 6000 runs and three hundred T20 wickets, the right-hander is not new to the heat of UAE. Yet he is worried about playing this time because the situation is different. "I have played in hot conditions before. But I was in competition, playing games, having proper net sessions and back and forth, getting used to the condition and fully acclimatised," he said. "However, in this case, it's going to be a bit different where we are in quarantine and then we just gonna get out and have a few practice sessions and then go straight into the games,” added Russell who has previously represented Islamabad United and Multan Sultans in the competition. Even after such difficulties, the Caribbean spirit of entertaining people is still intact in Russels as he concluded saying, “We are professionals, so we have to condition our minds to deal with the heat and the weather." The PSL’s Abu Dhabi league scheduled to be played in Sheikh Zayed Stadium begins on June 9.

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PSL 6 UAE leg to begin from June 9, six doubleheaders in the offing

The Pakistan Super League finally has a start date as the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that the tournament would begin on June 9 at the Shiekh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The final of the tournament will be played on June 24 as the national team is slated to depart for its UK tour on June 25. The board also confirmed that there would be six doubleheaders, which mean that out of the 20 games to be played, 12 would be on doubleheaders day. And this also means that out of the 15 days dedicated to the tournament, there would be only two non-match days. “The remaining matches of the PSL 6 will be played from June 9-24 in Abu Dhabi. There will be a total of six double-headers including one in the play-off stages,” Geo TV quoted a PCB spokesperson as saying. Talking about the timings of the game, the spokesperson said that the timings for regular and doubleheaders day would be different. “Matches on the usual days will start at 9:00 pm PST while in the case of double-headers, the first match will start at 6:00 pm PST and the second match will be played at 11:00 pm PST,” he stated. Originally slated to be held in February- March this year and entirely in Pakistan, the sixth edition of the PSL was postponed after several Covid-19 cases in the tournament Bio-bubble. Only 14 of the original 34 games could be completed then. It was then shifted to begin from June 1 at National Stadium in Karachi. However, the PSL franchise owners wanted the tournament in UAE so that there was no compromise on Covid-19. Due to various visa and flight delays, the scheduled start from June 5 could not be completed and hence the June 9 start was decided upon. The full schedule would be released by the PCB soon.

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It’s difficult for players to stay motivated: Virat Kohli stresses on mental well being of players

India skipper Virat Kohli, who is well known for speaking about well being of players once again stressed the importance of witching off from the game as and when possible to keep the motivation level going. Kohli, who was speaking at a press meet before the team’s departure to Egland for a three-month sojourn said that the mental well being of players needs to become a norm much like physical fitness. "You don't have an outlet at all in today's day and age. You're literally going to the ground and coming back to the room, and you don't have space where you can just disconnect from the game and go out for a walk or a meal and a coffee and say, 'Let me refresh myself. Let me just get away from the game a little bit,’,” he said. “I think this is a huge factor, which should not be neglected. Because as much hard work as we've done to create this team, you don't want players falling out because of mental pressures and not having the capacity or space to express themselves," Kohli added. The Indian skipper also shed light on the competitiveness as well as the business of the schedule which is forcing players to stay in the game all the time and which in turn is affecting their game. "The kind of structure we're competing inside, for a long period of time it's difficult for players to stay motivated and find the right kind of mental space in one area and just do this stuff day in and day out, and [then] dealing with high-pressure situations," he said. Although BCCI is yet to appoint any psychological trainer or expert with the team, the captain believes that having an expert on the side will become a norm soon. "So this will definitely become a norm of the future, where apart from the workloads, the mental health side of things will also come into the picture big-time,” the 32-year-old said. The Indian team has been freed from bubble restrictions for the rest of their English tour after the World Test Championship. They would instead be living in environment-friendly conditions and can go out and visit the places they want to. Kohli feels that it is a welcome step. “I think it's absolutely fine. It'll give us time to regroup as a side and prepare again for a long series. That kind of setup is very important before you go into a lengthy series. We know that playing five Tests in England can be very challenging and daunting,” he said. The Indian team will first play the WTC Final against New Zealand at Southampton starting June 18. Then, after almost a 40-day break, start off their five-match Test series against England with the first Test on August 4.