UAE Conditions Are More Suitable To Us- Mohammad Nabi

Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan spin-bowling all-rounder, has reckoned that prior experience of playing in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] will hold him and his Sunrisers Hyderabad compatriot Rashid Khan in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League [IPL].

The 13th edition of the IPL was supposed to take place in India between March 29-May 24. But the outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown forced the authorities to postpone the tournament for an indefinite period of time. With cases in India steadily increasing, the BCCI was forced to shift the 13th edition to the UAE, where it will be played in a bio-secure environment.

”Afghanistan plays most of their T20 games in Sharjah. Thus, it becomes more suitable for us (me and Rashid) when we travel to UAE for the IPL. But playing in CPL will definitely help us to prepare well for the IPL,” Mohammad Nabi told IANS.

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‘In the absence of fans, the game looks like club cricket’- Mohammad Nabi

Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan are currently plying their trade in the Caribbean Premier League. Nabi, who is representing St. Lucia Zouks admitted that it is tough to play after such a long break, adding that spent the last 4-5 months doing nothing at home as the pandemic raged around the world.

He is, however, hopeful that playing in the CPL will help him and other IPL-bound players to regain their rhythm.

“It is very tough to play after a long rest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I stayed at home for around 4-5 months. We were just training and were not practicing any bowling or batting in the outfield. So, a few games in the beginning would be tough. However, we will try to get back into the rhythm as quickly as possible, and hopefully, we will do well in the CPL,” Nabi added.

IPL 2020, just like other tournaments around the world, will be played behind closed doors and Mohammad Nabi admitted that the absence of fans could have an impact on the performance of the players.

”Yes, definitely the absence of fans in the stadium will have an impact on the performance of the players. In the absence of fans and crowds, the games would look like club cricket. The presence of fans in the stadiums makes the game a lot more interesting.” he added.

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