England Cricket Boardās rescue plan for resuming cricket could doom people
While the entire world seems to be like Wagner Moura from Narcos, looking at their sad life without any sport, England have devised a plan to bring cricket back to action. Oh, the look of excitement from a rather lacklustre one just a few days ago, can cricket really really be back for real?
āIt was clear it was getting in the way of performance and affecting the mental wellbeing of the guys,ā said England's skipper Joe Root, before Englandās series against Sri Lanka even began. That was not just the English teamās state but it was an emotion shared by cricket fans globally. Everyone, including, me, showcased our version of Moura, looking at no cricket being played.Ā
And when Steve Elworthy said that the ECB are devising a plan to bring cricket back, there seemed to be a new āgodā for the cricket fans, one that can bring us all out of doom. But this is life and nothing comes without complication and a fair share of no-nos. And such was the plan that he brought forward to bring back cricket in England.Ā
At this point of time, everything seems to be normal, including Elworthyās reputation of being the ācrisis man,ā multiple times in the past. So this was it, we were going to get cricket action after two weeks of being hungry for one. Yes, all of that is right and we want to get cricket back live, but under these circumstances? Nah. Let us see where all it could go worse. To begin with, the UK government has restricted to limit gatherings to under 500 people.Ā
That in itself is a problem because 500 people would be not be restricted to themselves. For a cricket match to go forward, you need two teams, a set of match officials and hundreds of people behind the scene, which is the breeding ground that Coronavirus so desperately wants. And, once it does, get it, we are going to feed right into its hungry-stomach. But we are forgetting multiple factors right here - travel, players' health and their families and lack of supporters being a few. Despite Elworthyās wealth-treasure of experience, the United Kingdom cannot get to fold to cricket this way, leaving all the other variable factors out of play.Ā
āWeāre mapping out what international matches would look like behind closed doors. The advice around mass gatherings was 500 people or fewer. That was guided by the potential impact on critical services like paramedics and doctors. You would likely have to work within that number (which would be made up of essential matchday staff)... then you have to think about medical provisions, creating a safe and sterile environment around that venue, so that everyone who comes in is clear,ā Elworthy told the Guardian.
Look at the statement, towards the end you see 'everyone who comes in is clear'. Are we just looking at everything from a cricket point of view, to increase profits in multi-fold, throwing the lives of people at stake? Or are we even having a minute to think about what will happen despite all these 'so-called' provisions? We don't, that is exactly where the hard-hitting truth lies. At the end of the day, is business bigger than life? In this caseĀ no, because you are trying to force something which is not quite plausible, given that the average age of an English citizen is 40. The chances of contracting the virus are more for such people, in such circumstances, where the fighting-mechanisms of people are low.Ā
And, leave that aside for a minute, where are the ECB going to get all the staff needed for maintaining a safe and sterile environment? Especially, when the country is in such chaos, that just canāt be fathomable. Iām not an anti-ECB guy or even for that fact a hater, Iām merely just suggesting that despite all the arduous steps taken, it is not the right time to take a risk.Ā Ā
Right after their Prime minster Boris Johnson ensured the 101s of Healthcare and safety by ambushing it all at once. It was not the first high-profile case in the country, given that Prince Charles was a victim of the pandemic COVID-19 just a few days back. All those who have played the Minesweeper game will have a fair idea of what we are talking about. Give it once inch, one wrong step, it has the magnitude to blow it out of proportion and before you know, the entire nation goes into a deep lock-down.Ā
He also did mention that it was not for economic reasons, which is fair, given that the T20 World Cup is around the corner. But, even in such circumstances, why would you be looking at playing cricket before looking at how the country is getting affected. If the live tracker of COVID-19 is of any help, it shows that the UK is eighth in the countries badly affected by the pandemic. Yet, you want them to go out and play cricket? India, on the other hand,Ā has not been as affected as the UK is, yet they have taken all the precaution and delayed IPL. Also, there stands a real possibility that this year we will not witness any IPL action, which by far most of us have agreed on, given that the outbreak is genuine.
When the flood-gates do open up, they do not come with a warning, but this time they have come with a warning sign across the globe. If we do not pay heed to the warning signs, why are they even there in the first place? In the country, over 14,500 have been infected or have shown symptoms of Coronavirus. It looks like it is indeed increasing every day, with new cases. Considering all of this, even a cricket fanatic - like a few dozen hundred(s) in the world - would not want cricket to start.Ā
Imagine this as a cricketing situation - you have your premier fast-bowler injured and your next series is against a small cricketing nation. Would you risk him for the meaningless game or would you rather want him fully fit against the top sides in the world? Every sane Tom, Dick and Harry would want him rather fully fit.Ā What happens next if you decide not to listen to them? He gets injured, potentially ruling himself out of a big game. Well, for England fans, this is not new, they have done it in the past. So the cry now is, donāt. Please, for the sake of cricket, do not start it right now!Ā Ā
Yet, everything boils back down to that factor - mental strength. Where does it go now, Mr Root? āThe right decision has been made. You could see looking at the players that their minds were elsewhere thinking about people back home. Now that we can go and look after families and be with loved ones thatās put a lot of guys at ease,ā he said after the series was called off.
Where does all of that go now, out of the window? Out to the open, where the chances of contracting the virusĀ are more than ever? When the entire world is shut-down for a cause, why not extend yourself to the world for once and keep it shut? Be it impolite or not, that is the real deal here! So it is not an overreaction, after all, to say that please stop thinking about cricket for now!
