Test of the new normal
The eyes of the cricketing world will be centered on Southampton today when England undertake the West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in what is definitely the first international cricket series because the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic more than 90 days ago. The Test meet, the to begin three through the Windies' tour of England, will go quite a distance to showing other countries how to host an international series actually amidst the pandemic. With football already at the forefront regarding getting sport again on the field, it really is cricket's turn to check out suit and establish the tone.
Whether it is James Anderson or Kemar Roach who comes in to bowl with the new ball, they'll all be acutely alert to the means of the 'new typical', given that it is extremely much the absence of normal that dictates circumstances.
For example, none of the bowlers are certain to get at hand over their caps, towels, sunglasses or sweaters to the umpire like they used to. The ICC guidelines needed 'adopting a process that will assist the bowler in taking care of his/her items. Umpires may also be encouraged to use gloves when managing the ball.'
Social distancing will have to work on the field of take up too and even though cricket is going to be a non-contact sport, there will not be those team huddles while awaiting an umpire's decision or large fives, fist-bump or approaching your major bowler who has only got a prized scalp and hugging it away.
Then there may be the hotly-debated saliva ban that's giving more rapidly bowlers sleepless nights. Will the ball swing for them after a few overs pass? Conditions in England happen to be conducive to seam bowling but will sweat be adequate to completely clean up the ball? Such problems will end up being on the minds of the quicker bowlers in both camps and, until they play a real match, it really is difficult to know exactly making this 'new normal' job.
Both teams and staff have been around in a bio-safe and sound 'bubble' for the past few weeks and West Indies trainer Phil Simmons discovered the hard way how stringent the restrictions facing them are. Simmons acquired attended his father-in-law's funeral before completing a week-long self-isolation at a accommodation. Yet, there were demands him to be sacked, with one Windies director declaring it was 'inconsiderate and reckless'.
England pacer Mark Wood had said that all of it felt like being in the sci-fi film. Essentially, the players have been chop off from all of those other world. You will have aggressive coronavirus assessment along with colour-coded assessment sites demarcated for numerous groups.
"It's a mental video game. While on tour, you'll want to switch faraway from cricket for quite a while. You may want to get a coffee or to a mall. It isn't possible nowadays. It's somewhat of a task and it's really harder for the players. It is tough. But we must get accustomed to it as coronavirus will probably stay for quite a while nowadays," Roach was quoted as declaring by the Hindustan Situations. For England, they must carry out without the popular Barmy Army. Roach experienced the absence also. "Some music will come to be good, maybe get a person who can sing!"
