IPL 2021: “Do your homework before making any decisions” - ACA chief to Australian cricketers on overseas T20 leagues
Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) chief executive Todd Greenberg has urged its players to do their homework and weigh all the risk factors before signing overseas deals with T20 franchises in the near future.
Greenberg’s statement came in the wake of Australian cricketers being stranded in India after IPL 2021 was indefinitely postponed as multiple COVID-19 cases emerged inside the bio-bubble.
Australia has banned travellers from India until May 15 as the raging pandemic continues to engulf the Asian country. As per reports, an Australian contingent of 40, which includes players, support staff and commentators, will be flown to Maldives and stay put there until they get the green signal to return to their homeland.
Discussing about how Australian cricketers should plan their future T20 assignments considering the unprecedented times, Greenberg was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo:
"I'm not sure it will create reticence (in the future) but it will ensure players do their due diligence before they sign agreements. The world is literally changing before our eyes particularly with Covid and on that side of the world, obviously, those cases are going up exponentially. We're enjoying our freedoms here in Australia. It is a very different place over there. If anything it sends a message to players about making sure you do your homework before making any decisions."
Former captains David Warner (SRH), Steve Smith (DC), Pat Cummins (KKR), and Glenn Maxwell (RCB) were among the star Australian cricketers who took part in the now-suspended IPL 2021. While the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh withdrew before the tournament, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, and Andrew Tye pulled out midway and flew home before Australia enforced the ban on Indian travellers.
Greenberg, who also admitted that Australian cricketers might not be in the best mental shape when they return, assured help in terms of counselling and support.
"I was at pains to point it out during the week, the public will see our best Australian cricketers as almost superheroes, they're brilliant athletes, great cricketers, but they're human beings, some of them are fathers and husbands and they're under enormous amounts of stress. Some deal with it differently. This will probably be an experience they will never forget. We will help them when they come home. Some will cope with it really well, others will need support and counselling and that's what we'll do."
Australian cricketers signed up with their eyes wide open: Todd Greenberg
Greenberg also pointed out that the Australian cricketers were aware of what they were signing up for when they chose to head to India for IPL 2021. He stated:
"They signed up with their eyes wide open about some of the challenges and risks when they went in.”
Greenberg, however, conceded that the Australian cricketers were not expecting the borders to be closed, which made them anxious.
"What they didn't expect was the borders to be closed. That created anxiety for them, just like it would create anxiety for the 9,000-odd Australians over there looking to come home. That's a normal reaction for our players," he added.
29 matches were held in IPL 2021 till May 2 before the tournament was suspended indefinitely as players and staff members from across franchises started testing positive for COVID-19.