These are "extremely frustrating and hurtful times" for Zimbabwe cricket, said veteran batsman Brendan Taylor, as the country's international fixtures look under serious danger of being "jeopardised" by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Despite being an ICC full-member nation, Zimbabwe has rarely had as crowded a calendar like this one. Having taken on Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the country was due to face Ireland and then turn up against Afghanistan, Australia, India and the Netherlands. 

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Unfortunately, however, the series versus the Irishmen got postponed because of the deadly outbreak, which threatens to also ruin the rest of the matches. 

"This break is not doing us any favours," Taylor was quoted as saying by Zimbabwean weekly The Standard. "I feel we are a team that needs to be playing more often; we've always been starved of cricket. This year we had a full schedule of international cricket, but that's now been jeopardised by this pandemic. So it's extremely frustrating and hurtful times."

"But there are people out there losing their lives and their loved ones to this terrible virus, so at the end of the cricket is not so important anymore, is it?"

If the home series against India is further postponed or cancelled, Zimbabwe will be denied of some extremely important cash inflow, dealing for years with a major economical crisis. 

In the meantime, however, Taylor believes sportspersons across the globe shall do their bit to help the less privileged sections of society tide through this phase. 

"I think it's a time where as players we can be a little more proactive, setting up GoFundMe pages trying to help the old, the homeless, and that's a big issue in our country," he said.

"When this virus comes to an end it will be nice to support local business, restaurants and other areas that are in desperate need and that's where as players we are very lucky to be in a position to give back."

(Inputs from PTI)