MUMBAI: World cricket’s most high profile face has spoken for player “rights” and the “establishment” just may have to “sit up and take note”. Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Monday said players should be consulted over the cricket calender as the extended life in a bubble during the pandemic had strengthened fears of burnout.
With India headed into three one-day internationals against England starting Tuesday after winning a gruelling Test series 3-1 and Twenty20 series 3-2, Kohli said more attention must be paid to cricketers’ mental health.
“The players need to be spoken to and consulted,” AFP quotes Kohli as having said Monday. “Otherwise it’s going to be a case of whoever can last through difficult times like this plays, if not then move away and someone else replaces that player.”
He added, “I don’t think that’s healthy for a cricket system and cricket culture moving forward, which we definitely want to make stronger and stronger.”
“I think it’s very important to consider how much cricket you are playing. It’s not just the physical side of thing but the mental side of things as well,” said Kohli.
“Scheduling and workloads is something that everyone will have to be very aware,” he added. “Especially in today’s day and age where you just don’t know where restrictions might come in.”
Most players have been in secure bubbles, with only small breaks since last August.
From September until January, India’s players went through the Indian Premier League and a tour of Australia.
