Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting. Image-Twitter

Ricky Ponting, the Delhi Capitals head coach, expressed his views about the ongoing stern crisis which India is dealing with owing to the COVID-19. The country recorded over 300,000 positive cases on Sunday (April 25th) and over 2,000 deaths due to the impact of the coronavirus.

Amidst the same, there have calls for halting the IPL 2021 which began on April 9th and is one-third completed with over a month more to go for the final. Ricky Ponting, however, believes that the IPL gives some joy and excitement to the people as the country grapples with the virus.

The former Australia captain asserted that the players are away from their families and giving their best on the field to provide entertainment to the fans. He has urged his overseas players should speak more to the local players and make them feel at home.

IPL Trophy
IPL Trophy (Image Credit: Twitter)

“Even with the country being in a situation that it is, I think cricket can still bring a lot of joy to people. So it is important for us to be doing what we can as cricketers and as coaches and as a franchise to putting on the best show as possible to give the people something that they’d like to see,” Ricky Ponting said in a video posted on Delhi Capitals’ Twitter handle.

“It is hard for the players to be away from their families. I can’t imagine… Even if I put myself in this situation, guys that live in Chennai are actually home now, but can’t see their families. It must be incredibly difficult.

“So, the more we can share these experiences, the better off we are. The people that aren’t from India, the more that we can be talking to the locals about what they are going through the better off we are all going to be,” he added.

This IPL has become more about what’s happening outside than what’s happening here: Ricky Ponting

After Liam Livingstone flew back to England, citing bubble fatigue, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, and Kane Richardson have also pulled out of the IPL, while Josh Hazlewood has opted out even before the tournament began; R Ashwin has taken a break from the tournament to support his family in Chennai.

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Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a break from the IPL to be with his family. (Image Credit: Twitter)

Ricky Ponting believes that the world outside their safe bio-bubbles was always going to have an effect on the players, as their families are more under the threat of the virus than the players are in the bubbles.

“This IPL, probably more than any other, has become more about what’s happening outside than what’s happening here. We right now are probably the safest people in the country being in the bubbles that we are in. Continually I’m asking the boys at breakfast every day how’s everything going on the outside, how’s family, (is) family safe, (is) family happy.

“That’s a really important thing. It is really important, we are thinking about the extended family, not just us, but we’ve got to be talking about what’s happening outside because it is quite grim,” the World Cup-winning skipper concluded.

Speaking of the Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant’s side has climbed up to the second spot after their victory in the super over against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai. They fly to Ahmedabad to take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday.

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