[IPL]- Harbhajan Singh said that saving lives amid the Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest focus for now
There is a feeling of frustration with cricket suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic as to whether major upcoming tournaments will go as planned. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 has already been postponed and has question marks while the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in October-November. Veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh claims that foreign players will not travel shortly to play cricket though adding that if the authorities decide not to conduct the IPL this year, it will be fine.
Harbhajan further said that in the current situation, cricket could not be forced while adding the game should wait as human life comes first.
It is an opportunity for everyone to evaluate. Still, at the moment, Harbhajan doesn’t think about cricket. The most important things now for everyone’s plan are saving lives and practicing solidarity. When he began the CSK camp in early March, he didn’t expect this because they had big crowds coming in just for practice sessions. The world turned upside down within days and weeks; nobody is thinking about cricket or sports. Everyone’s concern is all about saving lives.
There is no denying how the global pandemic has impacted cricketing schedules at the highest level. In addition to the improvements in scheduling, cricket would also have to stop an age-old tradition of coating the ball with saliva, given the possible danger it causes.
Accepting the ban on saliva being observed for some time, Harbhajan demanded bowler-friendly wickets to ensure the balance between bat and ball remains intact.
Harbhajan thinks there’ll be a ban on saliva and sweat here to live. Bowlers will have a very, very tough time. Pitches should be made [in a way] in this case, so that a bowler can get some support. If a bowler can not even shine the ball to improve his bowling, he should at least not be given flat wickets.
Talking on similar lines, Marnus Labuschagne, an Australian all-rounder, also encouraged players to “make sacrifices” to make sure the sport returns soon. It is worth noting that famous Australian sports maker Kookaburra has come up with a cricket ball shine polish to highlight the ball as a substitute for human saliva.
