IPL 2021 bio-bubble in India probably the most vulnerable, was extremely safe in UAE last year: Adam Zampa

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Australian spinner Adam Zampa, who pulled out of IPL 2021 due to “personal reasons” on Monday, has called IPL 2021 bio-bubble the most vulnerable one he has been part of.

Zampa termed lack of game time and motivation, the fear of getting locked out of his own country and bio-bubble fatigue as few of the other reasons to opt out of the cash-rich league.

The New South Wales cricketer went on to suggest that IPL should have been held in UAE like last year.

“Obviously the COVID situation over here is pretty dire. I just felt, rocking up to training and stuff, obviously, I wasn’t playing in the team as well, I was going to training and I wasn’t finding the motivation.

“[There were] a few other things like bubble fatigue and the chance to get home, once all the news broke about the flights and everything. I thought this was the best time to make the call.

“We’ve been in a few [bubbles] now, and I feel like this is probably the most vulnerable.

“I just feel like because it’s India, we’re always being told about the hygiene over here and being extra careful … I just felt like it was the most vulnerable. The IPL that was held in Dubai six months ago didn’t feel that way at all. I felt like that was extremely safe. Personally, I feel like that would have been a better option originally for this IPL but obviously, there’s a lot of political stuff that goes into it. Obviously there’s the T20 World Cup that’s meant to be happening here later this year. That’s probably going to be the next discussion in the cricket world. Six months is a long time,” Zampa, told The Age and the Herald.

Someone with family member on deathbed doesn’t care about cricket

The leg-spinner also shunned the argument that IPL amid the coronavirus pandemic in India provides reprieve to people.

“There’s a lot of people coming out and saying games of cricket could be a reprieve for some people but that’s also going to be a personal answer,” Zampa said.

“Someone who has a family member on their deathbed probably doesn’t care about the cricket.”

Financial sacrifice definitely but mental health first

The 29-year-old, who is till stuck in Mumbai after Australia banned all direct flights from India on Tuesday, said that opting out of the tournament was definitely a “financial sacrifice” but mental health mattered more to him.

“I feel like for leaving anyone leaving halfway through a tournament, it’s definitely a financial sacrifice. But from my point of view I wanted to put my mental health first,” Zampa said.