India coach Ravi Shastri says enforced break good news for tired players

Coach says mental and physical fatigue was beginning to show during New Zealand tour

India coach Ravi Shastri, left, with batting coach Vikram Rathour in Christchurch. Getty Images]

The break in cricket due to the coronavirus pandemic has at least one small positive for India coach Ravi Shastri; it has allowed players to recharge their batteries after a long season.

Cricket, like all sports, has been suspended for the foreseeable future. And amid all the negativity, Shastri said there is at least one thing for him to cheer about.

"It cannot be a bad thing. Because towards the end of the New Zealand tour, you could see some cracks coming up when it came to mental fatigue, physical fitness and injuries," Shastri told a Sky Sports cricket podcast.

"The amount of cricket we have played over the last 10 months was beginning to take its toll. Guys like me, and some other guys from the support staff left India on May 23 for the World Cup in England. Since then we have been at home for 10 or 11 days."

India called off a home ODI series against South Africa after the first match, while the cricket board also postponed the start of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament until April 15.

With India currently in a 21-day lockdown until April 14, the fate of the IPL is unclear.

Many national team players, including India's captain Virat Kohli, have taken to social media to spread awareness about the pandemic and the importance of staying at home.

"There are certain players who played all three formats of the game," Shastri, a former India all-rounder, added.

"You can imagine the toll it has taken on them, especially being on the field, adjusting from T20s to Test cricket and all the travel that goes with that because we travelled quite a lot.

"After England, we went to the West Indies, then played South Africa in India. We had a season of two and a half months here and then again off to New Zealand. So it has been tough but a welcome rest for players."

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