Mental Health of World Cup Players

                 

            

                   Cricketers facing mental health issues during the forthcoming T-20 World Cup  will have 24 hours access to a Psychologist, International Cricket Council announced on Thursday. The preliminary round matches of the tournament which will be played under a bio- secure environment, which will started on October 17 in United Arab Emirates and Oman. The event was moved to the Gulf States after a surge of Covid-19 infections in India. The players will have to isolate for six days on arrival, during which they will undergo three Covid-19 tests, before they enter the so-called, bubbles or managed environment.

            We should expect that some people will be affected, their mental health will be effected by being in confined conditions again, particularly perhaps for those who had done it for a long period of time. ICC's head of integrity sources informed that the ICC will have available 24 hours a day, a phycologist to speak to any individual who seeks help he said that there are number of things we are doing but I think from  a day-to-day basis, making sure we keep the environment friendly and pleasant for them.

            Cricket have mostly been played in restricted environments since it resumed last year after a lengthy disruptions because of the Covid-19 and players in the past have complained about the heavy toll it takes on their mental health. The World governing body has allowed players to be accompanied by close family during the T-20 World Cup, which will end with the final in Dubai, but the would have also to be part of the restricted environment.

            There will however be arrangements for outdoor recreation. It will be possible for them to play Golf on a Golf course where we have set aside the area for them and we can keep them separate from other people. So we maintain managed environment but we do allow people to do things other than sit in their Hotel Rooms. ICC has  put in place the support system after liaising with organizer of the Tokyo  Olympics, Formula 1 and the European Championships and have also set up a bio safety scientific advisory group compromise of Experts.

            However players have been warned to adhere to the rules. All these events depend on good discipline, he said if people strict to the rules and maintain their discipline, we should not have any problems and we would expect management of any team who finds people not adhering to the rules, to take that very seriously.

            Meanwhile, the I.C.C will change batsman to the gender-neutral term "batter" in its playing conditions starting from T-20 World Cup. The I.C.C has been utilizing  the term batter for some time now across  our channels and in the commentary and we welcome MCC's decision to implement it into the Laws of cricket and will not follow suit with our playing conditions that are derived from the Laws said ICC acting CEO Geoff Allardice. This is natural and perhaps overdue evolution of our sport and now our batters are gender-neutral in the same way as bowlers , fielders and wicket keepers. It is a small change, but one that I hope will have significant impact on cricket being viewed as a more inclusive sport.