Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) speedster Pat Cummins is not worried over a sudden spike in the COVID-19 positives cases in UAE and feels the bio-security protocols put in place by the BCCI for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will allow for safe and smooth conduct of the annual T20 event.
Cummins became one of the league's highest-earning cricketers when KKR bagged him at INR 15.5 crores after a bidding war with several other franchises at the auction in December last year.
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The 27-year-old is currently in UK, featuring in Australia's first international assignment after the extended break and will be flying across to the gulf at the end of the three ICC Super League ODIs versus England.
“In terms of safety, I have got no worries at all, hearing about the length that they have gone to protect the tournament, the players, staff, it is huge," Cummins said in a virtual press conference this Saturday (September 5) as per The New Indian Express.
"Here in England too, no stones have been left unturned, we feel really safe and I am sure that it is going to be the same in the UAE as well from whatever I have heard. I know it is going to be a bit different to what an IPL normally feels like, but I hope the cricket is the same,” he added.
The right-arm quick is also unfazed of the cricketing challenge at hands, leading the KKR attack in conditions not usually suited to fast bowling.
“I have played in the UAE when it is super hot and that is a nightmare, so we will see. I do not know exactly how hot and humid it is now,” Cummins said.
The prominent cricketer, however, remains slightly wary of the mental fatigue amidst a pandemic-effected cricket calendar that sees Australian players like him spend more time away from their families than norm.
“In terms of the mental challenge over here, for sure, it is a long tour and when you add the IPL, you probably go on, especially without seeing your families. The important thing is you have to be prepared and come up with a game plan to manage yourself,” Cummins acknowledged.
The IPL 2020 kickstarts on September 19, three days after the end of Australia's last ODI in England on September 16.
