IPL 2021: "Some senior Indian guys don't like being restricted and told what to do" - MI fielding coach James Pamment
Mumbai Indians (MI) fielding coach James Pamment has disclosed some details about the team environment during the pandemic-hit IPL 2021.
Pamment recalled how some senior Indian members of the franchise detested restrictions, while others bravely soldiered through the malady's impact on their own families.
James Pamment, who reached New Zealand on Saturday, claimed that despite the horrifying situation outside, MI members always felt safe in their bio-secure bubble.
“Some of the senior Indian guys don't like being restricted and told what to do, but we did feel safe – at no point did we feel the bubble would be compromised, the challenge was the travel. But we started to get Indian guys in our environment whose families were very sick. There were bereavements as well and we were taking a bit of a cue from those guys who were saying 'no, we want to carry on' and the messages were coming back that this is a good distraction. And it is an Indian league, run by Indian people for the Indian audience in the main and we're just fortunate to be there to be providing our professional services." James Pamment told stuff.co.nz.
IPL 2021 was postponed indefinitely on May 4 after COVID-19 cases emerged in multiple teams, starting with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 3.
Except for Tim Seifert, who failed his pre-departure COVID-19 test, all Kiwi participants have either touched down at home or the Maldives.
"You could see the TV pictures of people struggling to get medical needs" - James Pamment
James Pamment also recalled seeing ambulances on the roads and locals struggling to meet their medical requirements on television.
“Yes, you do see ambulances occasionally on the roads, but what you do see more of when you're driving around the streets are people waving at you, people queueing up to watch you train through a fence. It's not like you're in a war-zone, but you could see the TV pictures and know there's people here struggling to get medical needs,” said Pamment.
The Rohit Sharma-led outfit finished the first half of IPL 2021 in fourth place, with four wins out of seven games.