Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Chris Morris said he doesn't at all mind the venue switch that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has had this year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual T20 competition is being held outside India within bio-secure arrangements. But Morris said, purely in terms of travelling convenience, it has been a less exhausting experience in UAE.
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"Traveling in India is not as easy as it looks. It is absolutely draining. You finish a game almost midnight and get back to your hotel room around 2 am, pack your bags," said Morris during a virtual press conference this Friday (October 23), as quoted by Indian Express.
"You are already exhausted from the game and by the time you finish packing, it’s almost 3 to 4 and we are leaving the hotel in a couple of hours."
"You got to wake up, shower, look respectable and get on the bus and drive for another hour and a half to reach the airport and get in the plane and fly somewhere. You might have to play two days later, so it’s absolutely draining," he added.
From Morris' perspective, limited number of venues and less travel have felt "magnificent". The other advantage, he says, players like him have had despite the strict protocols, is that all teams, including RCB, have had to extend their support to the mental aspect of the game.
"In the beginning, I thought it would be a lot worse, we will get bored and lose our minds. Luckily we have got a good bunch of guys and RCB management have been unbelievable," said Morris. "We got the beach to ourselves and last night we had a barbeque all of us with cricket on the big screen."
Morris has been fantastic since he has walked into the RCB XI five games back. The South African, who has been generally prefered to bowl the tight overs at the death, has taken 9 wickets and gone at an economy rate of just 5.
“These are the hard situation you want to be in. These are where you want to get tested as a cricketer. You get to ball fast, you get to bowl yorkers and then you get to smack sixes, what more you want," he said.
On the tracks across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, Morris said they've had a bit in it for the pacers, but with the tournament going deeper, it's the spinners who are generally expected to rule the roost.
“Wickets have helped us (quicks) a little bit and has been good for fast bowling and there’s swing and it doesn’t often swing in India, so it’s quite nice to see a cricket ball swinging even if it’s for one over."
“I think wickets are getting better for spinners and if there is dew it will help batters but I think when the conditions are a little bit dryer it will help a lot for spinners," he added.
With seven wins in ten outings, RCB next face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Dubai on Sunday (October 25).
