Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy said it is absolutely necessary for professional teams to weigh in the mental impact on players of being in bio-secure bubbles, staying away from their family for extended periods amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stressing on that, Sammy batted for all teams to recognise the need to appoint a psychologist to look after players' mental health while they adjust to the new normal.
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Sporting activities have been gradually resuming behind closed doors. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are being followed strictly with regards to regular testing, quarantine, training and on-field action.
But the need to be vigilant from a viral outbreak and also deal with performance pressure without much off-field time, Sammy realises, can take its own toll.
"Not only the captain, the role of the management staff.. I think now it will be compulsory or very important for a psychologist on tour because mental health is something, as it is something we take for granted," Sammy, who is currently leading St Lucia Zouks in the CPL 2020, told India Today.
"If somebody talks about mental health, people, sometimes, say they are probably 'weak'. Especially now, with this isolation in place, you have to consider the mental state of athletes."
"My job, as captain, is to keep the guys motivated and keep them in good state of mind. I think people who specialise in these areas of mental health should be with every professional team, especially now."
While sympathetic to players, Sammy also understands why authorities don't want to leave any stone unturned in organising events.
"The bubble is our safe haven and adhering to the safety protocols means showing respect to your teammates and opponents. Everyone should respect that it is for the safety of us all and do whatever we have to; to keep it secure."
"It is important to have cricket but in the safest way possible. The fact that cricket is being played is a plus. The authorities are taking safety measures to ensure that we all play in a safe environment."
There is also a genuine sense of excitement and relief coming back to where cricketers belong. For Sammy, personally, he is delighted to be on the field again, with the cherry on the cake being Zouks' fantastic start to the season, winning four of their first six matches. He is also not ruling out the chance of returning to West Indies' T20I side ahead of the next year's World Cup in India.
"Being at home confined, not being able to practice and train, and now to be able to showcase our talent for a cause is an exciting prospect," Sammy said.
"What I see from us coming here is that (there's) young men just eager to showcase their talent. Yes, there are no superstars but the way we have gelled together off the field it could play a big part. I am confident that we could do much better than previous seasons."
"Right now my focus is on St Lucia Zouks. CPL is a good platform for getting selected in the West Indies team. If I put in some good performances, why not [T20 World Cup selection]?"
