Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Pat Cummins insisted that he never felt “unsafe” in India during the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) despite the entire country is badly hit by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cummins alongside his Australia contingent left India and is currently quarantining in the Maldives before flying back to the home after the IPL 2021 was postponed following the Coronavirus outbreak inside bio-bubble, as Scott Morrison led government banned the travelers from India till May 15th.
The star pacer has also opened on the debate and his earlier remark about the continuation of the IPL 14 amid the terrifying COVID-19 situation across the country.
Cummins was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald: “Seeing the media from back home, it [India’s pandemic] is huge news, and rightly so given what India is going through, but I’ve never felt unsafe here. I’ve felt quite helpless and quite detached from it all being kept in comfortable hotels.”
He added, “We were playing games and training as every other year. It just felt that I should be doing more for the people around us. The first thing I wanted to do was make sure playing the IPL was the right call. Speaking to people back home, some had the view that it didn’t see right cricket was going on over here in amongst all the COVID cases.”
The pacer further explained, “But the response I was getting from people in India was the opposite. They all said that with so many people in a lockdown they really appreciate the fact that for three or four hours each night they can watch the IPL. It gives people a routine; it helps to keep them in their homes. Everyone thought it was a positive the IPL was still going on.”
On his donation to India to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Cummins noted: “I wondered what could I do? India has been so good to me for so long as a player. The people are amazing. I wanted to try and help out and give back a little bit.”
He signed off by saying, “The IPL in the UAE last year was brilliant, it was really well run, but millions of people were saying it should have been played in India, so what do you do? You can see both sides. They set up this tournament with all the best advice.”
