COVID-19: McCullum happy to be home even though he misses IPL carnage

Auckland, April 8 (IANS) The coronavirus outbreak might have put the fate of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League hanging in balance, but Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum is looking to make the most of the time he is getting at home due to the postponement of the league which was expected to get underway on March 29.

“Spot on, it’s a far cry from the carnage of the IPL and also in India but it’s quite nice and comforting to be at home under these circumstances. I was quite busy in the last three years,” the former wicket-keeper batsman told ‘tvnz.co.nz’.

Rubbishing rumours that he had gone out for a drink during the lockdown, McCullum said: “I definitely wasn’t there. I prefer to drink in the comforts of my home. I invite very very special people to taste my home-brewed stuff.”

With the pandemic creating havoc across the globe, the BCCI is now also looking at the October-November window to host the IPL. But the move can only be possible if the ICC decides to postpone the World T20 that is to be held later in the year. IPL franchises, on their part, have decided that they will have the next meeting only after the government comes up with a fresh advisory on or after April 14.

Along with other cricketers, Steve Smith on Tuesday said that he was hoping that the IPL is played out at some stage this year rather than getting cancelled due to the pandemic.

“Plenty going on in the world at present, but hopefully we can get an IPL at some stage. The two seasons that I captained the Royals were both half seasons, Shane Watson gave me the captaincy in 2015 and then last year out of the blue I took over at the back end of the season. Looking at having a crack at it full time and the Royals have a pretty good squad,” he said.

–IANS

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