Exclusive: Tatenda Taibu Has His Say On Cricket Behind Closed Doors Post COVID-19

The onslaught of COVID-19 has put this beautiful game of cricket on the back-burner. Amidst a plethora of uncertainty, member boards are contemplating various contingency plans in order to resume the proceedings, given the conditions improve in the upcoming days.

Several options are being explored for the speedy resumption of cricket in the post corona world; the most common being to play it behind closed doors.

Fans and the atmosphere that they create are really the heartbeat of any sporting event and cricketers themselves, thrive in such an environment. It tends to bring the best out of them.

So does the absence of crowds affects cricketers to a great extent? Tatenda Taibu, in an exclusive chat with Cricket Addictor, has said that it really depends on the personality of a cricketer.

“The presence of crowds motivates some players, it demotivates other players. Now that goes with the personality,” Tatenda Taibu told Cricket Addictor.

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Tatenda Taibu on what it means for a cricketer to play behind closed doors

Tatenda Taibu said that while cricketers like him thrive in playing in front of big crowds as it tends to bring the best out of them, for ‘timid characters’, it’ll not be such a bad thing if they have to play behind closed doors.

“I liked big crowds. Because the bigger the better it was for me. But for other players, who struggle to be in front of big crowds; more timid characters. So, it will be an advantage for such personalities. For other personalities, it will be difficult,” he added

Recently, the likes of David Warner and Glenn Maxwell have expressed their reservations against playing behind closed doors. Warner has said that all you want is crowds “no matter where you go and where you play”

While the cricketers might be apprehensive, and rightfully so, because for a sportsman there is no bigger high than seeing 50000 cheer for they when you walk out to bat or mark their run-up as a bowler or when a fielder takes a brilliant catch, but the fact of the matter is, one cannot risk the safety of fans in the post COVID-19 world, and the only feasible option right now is to play cricket behind closed doors.

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