England’s 2019 World Cup-winning pacer Liam Plunkett was disappointed at not being offered a limited-overs central contract for the 2020 season by the England and Wales Cricket Board but said the topic is “irrelevant” now given the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic.
The 35-year-old fast-bowler was ignored by the team management for the 2020 season despite playing a vital role in England’s maiden ODI World Cup title triumph last year at home, taking three wickets in a thrilling final against New Zealand at Lord's – which remains his final international appearance.
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Well, the Surrey pacer was disappointed with his snub but felt the ongoing health crisis caused by COVID-19 outbreak has made his abrupt exit from international duty “irrelevant” and he is now just thinking about the safety of his loved once since there is no possibility of cricket in this critical time.
Britain has like other countries, also implemented the lockdown in a bid to combat the ongoing pandemic, forcing the ECB to delay the start of the season until May 28 with the possibility of further postponements likely, and Plunkett was philosophical about his England career.
Plunkett told the Sunday Times, “Cricket doesn’t look so big now. All the stuff about me not being picked for England, it’s irrelevant. I was disappointed, but I’ve got no need to speak about that now. Like everyone, I want my family and friends to be safe, and that’s all I’m worried about.”
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Liam, who has taken 201 international wickets across formats for England so far, believes that the game will have an important role in helping the world move forward and bolstering morale following the COVID-19 crisis whenever the games start.
He signed off by saying, “Sport is going to have an important role to play. Cricket will be a spectacle (when it comes back). People are going to be glued to it. It will be interesting to see how keen people will be to go to the grounds, but it could be like a Super Bowl, everyone sitting around watching live sport. It might get really big audiences,”
(With Sunday Times Inputs)
