ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Shane Bond feels it will be tough for bowlers to adjust to 50-over format after hectic IPL schedule

New Zealand‘s veteran fast bowler Shane Bond feels with hectic travel schedule in Indian Premier League (IPL) 10, bowlers will get little time for regular net sessions ahead of the all-important ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Writing in a column for the International Cricket Council (ICC), Bond stated that top international bowlers will head into June’s Champions Trophy without enduring enough workload as the stiff IPL schedule has provided them limited net sessions. The marquee event will be played in England and Wales with the first game to be held between England and Bangladesh. ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Sachin Tendulkar’s vital message for Indian cricket team

“Because of the condensed schedules in the IPL, and the heat and the travel, the bowlers haven’t been bowling a lot in the nets. Going into the ICC Champions Trophy, where the top bowlers will be expected to bowl their quota of 10 overs, will pose a unique kind of challenge in terms of the bowlers not having had enough of a workload. It is important that it is not just your skills that are up to speed, you need to have had miles in the legs as well. There are a couple of things that will be different in England and Wales from the IPL. One is, of course, the heat, and going from India to the UK will be a bit of a relief,” wrote Bond.

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Bond also added that players will need to make a rapid changes not only in terms of adjustment but also in attitude when they switch from the shortest format to 50-over cricket.  “Obviously, is time on the feet from an hour-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours. All the players have been training and are in good shape physically, so this adjustment shouldn’t be particularly demanding, but the issue of bowling workloads is another matter altogether,” told Bond.

The former Kiwi speedster, with 259 wickets across formats, also had a word of advise for batsmen ahead of the ICC event. “Rohit Sharma has been batting in the middle-order for us (Mumbai Indians) and Aaron Finch for Gujarat Lions (GL), and both of them will need to re-adjust to playing the new ball, in English conditions, when they open the batting for their respective countries,” reasoned the 41-year-old.

“There will be a couple of subtle differences, and I am sure these experienced guys are equipped enough to cope with those requirements”, concluded Bond, who is currently busy with MI in the tenth edition of IPL.