Short break between IPL and World Cup would have helped, says Bharat Arun

There was a two-day gap between the IPL final and the 2021 edition of the ICC showpiece.

Bowling Coach Bharat Arun (center) was also annoyed that in a tournament of this stature, toss played such a crucial role. (File Photo)

A day before ending his fruitful stint as India bowling coach, Bharat Arun admitted that perhaps a short break after the Indian Premier League could have helped fare better in the T20 World Cup.

There was a two-day gap between the IPL final and the 2021 edition of the ICC showpiece.

“Being on the road for six months is a huge task. I think the players have not gone home ever since they had a short break after the last IPL [in May], and they have been in a bubble for six months. That takes a huge toll," said Arun ahead of the last league game against Namibia.

“Maybe a short break between the IPL and the World Cup would have done a lot of good for these boys.”

India’s thin chance to reach the semifinals evaporated with New Zealand's victory over Afghanistan. And after two early losses, the game against Namibia would be a formality.

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Arun said the toss stood crucial in the United Arab Emirates. “I am not trying to give any excuses, but the toss plays a very vital role in a match like this. It gives an undue advantage. That is the reason why it is a huge change between batting first and second. That should not be the case in a short format like this.”

 

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The former India pacer was satisfied with his contribution as the bowling coach. India became a pace-bowling hub in Test cricket under his supervision. “It has been a great journey for me. An outstanding journey with ups and downs. But the team is in a much better position than it was when we started. I am pretty happy about it. The highest point of the career would be the kind of bowling that we have,” he said.

“We set about winning a lot of Test matches overseas. That is what we strived hard to achieve as a team. And we went about achieving that. The highest points could be the two back-to-back wins in Australia and more or less winning the series in England. Of course, there is one more Test to go. But I think the performance of the team during the English series was outstanding.”