Australia's leg-spinner Adam Zampa said he felt most vulnerable in the ongoing IPL 2021's bio-bubble which made him quit the tournament in midway. He and Kane Richardson have pulled out of the IPL citing personal reasons. Both were part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Zampa said the tournament should have held been held in UAE like last season and he felt safer in that bubble.
“We’ve been in a few (bubbles) now, and I feel like this is probably the most vulnerable. I just feel like because it’s India, we’re always being told about the hygiene over here and being extra careful… I just felt like it was the most vulnerable.
“The IPL that was held in Dubai six months ago didn’t feel that way at all. I felt like that was extremely safe. Personally, I feel like that would have been a better option originally for this IPL, but obviously, there’s a lot of political stuff that goes into it.
“Obviously there’s the T20 World Cup that’s meant to be happening here later this year. That’s probably going to be the next discussion in the cricket world. Six months is a long time,” he said.
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Zampa said there were a lot of factors that convinced him to leave the IPL. He wasn't a regular part of the playing eleven this year and was finding it hard to motivate himself for training.
“Obviously the COVID situation over here is pretty dire. I just felt, rocking up to training and stuff, obviously, I wasn’t playing in the team as well, I was going to training and I wasn’t finding the motivation.
“There were a few other things like bubble fatigue and the chance to get home, once all the news broke about the flights and everything. I thought this was the best time to make the call.”
People are divided over the decision to continue IPL amid a huge surge in India's COVID-19 case. Zampa shared his views and said, “There’s a lot of people coming out and saying games of cricket could be a reprieve for some people but that’s also going to be a personal answer.
“Someone who has a family member on their death bed probably doesn’t care about the cricket.”
The leggie doesn't regret pulling out of the tournament despite the financial loss he suffered. “I feel like for leaving anyone leaving halfway through a tournament, it’s definitely a financial sacrifice. But from my point of view, I wanted to put my mental health first.”
Recently, Australia's fast-bowler Pat Cummins, who plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, donated USD 50,000 to help India fight the COVID-19. “Obviously really generous. I think we’ll probably see more of it now. My thoughts go out to everyone over here. I understand how dire the situation is. It’s bigger than cricket", said Zampa for his Aussie teammate.
(With PTI Inputs)
