Thaindian News

Chennai, April 6 (IANS) Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Wednesday did not discount the onset of fatigue that could affect the performance of the national cricketers who face a heavy schedule in the next six months, beginning with the Indian Premier League (IPL) that starts less than a week after the conclusion of the World Cup.

“Yes, the schedule does affect cricketers. After IPL, there is the West Indies series. From West Indies, we go to England,” said Dhoni speaking on the sidelines of the launch function of the Chennai Super Kings.

The IPL stretches over seven weeks, from April 8 to May 28, following which the team leaves for the West Indies for one T20 game, five ODIs and three Tests (June 4-July 10) before flying directly to England for another series (July 15-September 16) comprising four Tests, one T20 and five ODIs besides a few side games.

“And then, if we (Chennai Super Kings) qualify (win the IPL final), we play the Champions League and after a couple of tournaments (visits by West Indies and England), we go to Australia.

“It’s a very busy schedule. Because of the amount of cricket that we play, it does affect the performances. Physical aspects are still manageable, but you might feel mentally tired and emotionally drained.

“It won’t affect all the players, but only those who will be part of all the tournaments. We have played six months of continuous cricket (up to the end of World Cup) and have a packed schedule over the next six months,” Dhoni said.

It may be recalled that Dhoni had lamented last year the lack of time for rest and recuperation in the run-up to the World Cup that India eventually won last week.