Adjusting to new normal won't be difficult, just about getting used to: MI bowling coach Zaheer Khan on post-COVID world

Abu Dhabi, September 10

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Mumbai Indians bowling coach Zaheer Khan is not too concerned about the “new routines” that cricketers will have to adapt to in a world scarred by COVID-19 as he believes it is just a matter of getting used to the latest system.

The new routines include quarantines, bio-secure training camps, aggressive hand hygiene, regular temperature checks and a complete bar on use of saliva to shine the ball. Zaheer acknowledged that the last part was the only difficult bit about the revamped protocol.

“I wouldn’t say it will be difficult as such, just a matter of getting used to a new routine. Preparation routines are going to change and you have to keep up with that. Feels good to be back and out on the field again,” said the former India pacer while referring to the IPL, which starts on September 19 in the UAE.

🗣️ | @ImZaheer talks about being game ready amidst the new protocols.#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/8xjomAlcAt

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 10, 2020

“We have to be careful about getting used to not using saliva but old habits just creep in. We have to be mindful of that,” he added.

Mumbai Indians has provided each player with a zip bag in which he is required to keep his training balls to ensure that health safety protocol is adhered to.

The former India pace spearhead said professional athletes should be able to create the kind of mental space they want to be in and the lockdowns they had endured in the past few months, was an important lesson in achieving that control on the mind.

“When you are a professional athlete you have to find a way of keeping that mental space which you would like to be in. It varies individually and one has to own that individual space,” Zaheer said on a twitter video message posted by the Mumbai Indians.

MI are based in Abu Dhabi where they will be playing all their IPL home games after the tournament was shifted out of India due to rising cases of COVID-19. PTI