Players Will be Given Coconut Water & Vests to Beat Abu Dhabi’s Summer
Meteorological Department said temperatures at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium are likely to remain between 33 to 38 degrees Celsius for the next 15 days
UAE is all set to host the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but the players and officials participating in the event are going to face the challenge of Abu Dhabi’s intense summer heat at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
PSL is going to resume from June 5 with the finale scheduled on June 20.
However, the reports regarding the change in Abu Dhabi’s summer heat have raised the alarm too and the officials are engaged in ensuring proper arrangements for players.
UAE Meteorological Department forecasted, “Temperatures at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium are likely to be 33 to 38 degrees Celsius for the next 15 days”.
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To beat the scorching heat, the players will be relieved with coconut water, ice collars, and vests, and more breaks during the daytime games to balance hydration and mitigation of risk of cramping.
Moreover, the management has decided to arrange some matches at night due to sweltering weather conditions.
Records show that UAE has never hosted matches at this time of the year due to tough temperature conditions, instead, the officials have always preferred winter and spring seasons for all high-level competitions.
Commenting on the forecast, Peshawar Zalmi Head Coach Mohammad Akram said, “We all are working on making plans for how to cope with such conditions, especially fast bowlers. We have a strategy to use coconut water as much as we can to maintain body temperature”.
Familiar with UAE’s weather conditions, former cricketer Aqib Javed has coached the national side from 2012-2016 and understands how the body reacts to the changing weather.
Talking to ESPN, Aqib said, “The boys in Pakistan are used to coping with some challenging conditions. The only worry is the first innings in the first games that will start around 5 PM, but once the sun goes down they will cope”.
Considering the intense summer heat, franchises are arranging ice vests for their players to wear on the field and the kits are prepared of lighter and comfortable material.
On the bright side, choosing Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium as the venue has a major benefit due to its infrastructure that will provide a fair degree of shade during the day.
