Last Updated on 4 years ago by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Keshav Maharaj feels the T20 Bubble set up “not ideal” | Keshav Maharaj speaks about life in the bio-secure bubble

Cricketers going into the “biosecure bubble” setup before any tournament has become a new normal. The bio-bubble does not just limit itself to the pitch or field; it is, of course, mandatory that all entities partake in this new form of quarantine. It is very well known that the restrictions that a bio-bubble imposes on the cricketers had begun to take their toll.

Living continuously in a bio-bubble may not affect their performance on the field, but it could leave them mentally jaded. It is a point that has already been emphasised by former South African captain Faf du Plessis, Australia’s limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch and former India mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton.

The recent addition to this list is Keshav Maharaj during his bio bubble period before the ongoing T20 World Cup in UAE. The Proteas spinner, while speaking to Betway, describes the makeshift setup as ‘not ideal.’ However, he accepted the fact it is also working to make the best of this unusual preparation.

Regarding his hotel room stay, Maharaj felt the conditions were very different from what they used to be, and he is trying very hard to feel as at home as possible.

The South African cricketer also expressed his likeness for the neatness, and with no cleaners coming into the rooms, he had to spend time making himself more comfortable by keeping the room in check.

He was also vocal about watching a South African rugby team game, along with his team members in a cordoned-off dining area in the hotel room, which made him feel connected to home.

South Africa has had a great last 12 months in the cricketing aspect, with victories in both Test and T20 series in the Caribbean, followed by T20 whitewashes of Ireland and Sri Lanka in July and September. This suggests that the squad benefits from approaching a major tournament with an extra 12 months of development behind them.

One look around the team gathering is enough to know that this squad is good enough to make a solid statement in the T20 World Cup.

Van Der Dussen and Maharaj are both experienced cricketers, while Reeza Hendricks and Dwaine Pretorius have made great strides in the last 12 months.

Mark Boucher oversees the operation as head coach, while JP Duminy and Charl Langeveldt are on the coaching staff.

The staff are all relatively new to the job, but performances and results in 2021 show that South Africa’s trajectory may be on the up.