Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews found the occasion fantastic, for his team to become only one of the few teams in the cricket world to resume business after a long break due to the coronavirus pandemic. The island nation is set to welcome other teams but as it happened, India has postponed their scheduled tour in June-July, while Bangladesh is still to decide despite the schedule nearing. Bangladesh are to play a three-match Test series with Sri Lanka, which is part of the ICC Test Championship. Dhaka Tribune reached the seasoned right-arm all-rounder Mathews for his thoughts on the recent developments in the cricketing world and his reaction on the team getting back to the nets, among other things. Below are the excerpts:
Congratulations, Sri Lanka are among the few teams to make a comeback to the field…
It is fantastic news to start training again after three months layoff. I have enjoyed every bit staying at home and also learning a few new things. But yes, to start training pretty soon is very exciting.
What are the major changes you found in the practice sessions compared to what it was before the Covid-19 outbreak?
The first group in the practice followed strict guidelines from the health ministry and it was very successful. The second group and the rest will start training from 22nd (June), I can let you know the changes when I am part of it.
Do you believe the changes in practice will have a negative impact on the mindset of the players initially?
No, not at all. It is what it is, you cannot control this kind of situation. Obviously you need to move on and then follow the guidelines which are given by the specialists. There won’t be a negative impact because we still train and we are doing pretty much the same things. Will see how well it goes.
Given that the cricketers have been in lockdown at home since March, how much of time should they be given to sharpen their skills before going into an international series?
You cannot really decide a timeline because it depends on the individual on how long it takes to hit the peak both physically and mentally, and also skill-wise. But they should be given at least a few weeks before starting matches because you need to give that workload to the body and that the body needs to adjust to the sudden change and then you will be good to go.
One learning that you will take from the coronavirus pandemic?
Most important thing in life is the family. Glad that I have been able to spend a lot of time with them, also, to stay away from virus we should wash hands regularly and wear the mask and keep the [social] distance.
International Cricket Council has set new rules and bar on using saliva. The disadvantages for the bowlers have been widely discussed but what about the batsmen? How are the batsmen going to react to this change/regulation?
I don’t think answering to that is possible right at the moment without experiencing it. Once I experience it I will be able to share a clear answer to that.
What will be your reaction if you are asked to travel to a badly-hit Covid-19 country? Will you be comfortable?
Obviously health authorities and the government will advise us on it as we are not experts. So let the experts decide on that thing.
Sri Lanka Premier League Twenty20 has been planned as a backup by Sri Lanka Cricket in case there is no international tour. The Asia Cup T20I and World T20I are still in schedule. Do you think playing SLPL will match the preparation needed ahead of a major tournament?
Yes, absolutely. There is no better way than playing cricket to get shaped before a big tournament. And if we get the SLPL going, it will be a fantastic preparation for us for the future tours, Asia Cup and as well as the World T20I.
Would you advise to play high intensity domestic T20 tournament ahead of a major event, in case a particular country doesn’t get much international action?
Yes, absolutely. Trying to replicate the same intensity is in the idea before going in for a big tournament like a World T20I, it’s ideal for us to play domestic T20 as preparation.
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