Cricket after COVID-19: Uthappa, Aaron, others return to training

Four players resumed cricket training with precautions at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket in Bengaluru.

Robin Uthappa & Co. were joined by young talent in their return to cricket action. - K. BHAGYA PRAKASH (FILE)

Cricketers Robin Uthappa, Varun Aaron, Shreyas Gopal and David Mathias resumed training, at Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC) here. The four players were joined by young talent in their return to cricket action after the long coronavirus-inflicted layoff.

Fast bowler Mathias was thrilled to hit the nets. “It feels great to be back, especially so when you have high-quality cricketers like Robin, Shreyas and Varun to train with,” Mathias said.

Precautions

Mathias stated that he was making a conscious effort to avoid using saliva - banned by the ICC, as it increases the risk of transmitting the coronavirus - to shine the ball. “Avoiding saliva will soon become a habit for us pacers. The ball does not do much in the air or off the pitch, but we will find a way to cope with it,” he said.

Mathias explained that bowlers used their own ball. “Batting is safe, as we use our gloves when we pick up the ball and pass it back to the bowler. We also use headbands to ensure that we do not inadvertently touch our face,” he said.

Temperature checks, sanitising, frequent disinfectant use and other precautionary measures were in place at the academy. Players did not wear masks while training - a trend seen in most exerting sporting activities.