India, like many other countries, is under nationwide lockdown since March 25 to combat the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which has led to a shutdown of global sporting events apart from taking severe toll on the worldwide economy and marginalized communities all over the over.
To curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, the Indian government has extended the COVID-19 national lockdown, limiting the movements of more than 1.3 billion people until May 3. Since the outbreak began, India has reported over 24,500 confirmed cases and 775 deaths till now.
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The ongoing global crisis has led to almost all the sporting events including cricket being either postponed or canceled across the world with India’s Indian Premier League (IPL) becoming the latest victim of the pandemic after the number of COVID-19 cases gained speed in the country.
Well, no one can predict when the games will start again, but Kapil Dev, India's first World Cup-winning captain in 1983, insisted that he isn’t worried about the resumption of cricket at the moment, rather, more concerned about the young generation amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Talking to Sports Tak exclusively, Kapil Dev said when asked about the suspension of sports, “I am looking at the larger picture. Do you think cricket is the only issue we can talk about? I am rather worried about the children who are not being able to go to schools and colleges because that is our young generation. So, I want schools to reopen first. Cricket, football will happen eventually.”
The legendary all-rounder has yet again rejected Shoaib Akhtar’s idea of an India-Pakistan series to raise funds for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the religious shrines should provide financial help in this critical time if the country needs the money.
He signed off by saying, “You could be emotional and say that yes, India and Pakistan should play matches. Playing matches is not a priority at the moment. If you need the money that you should stop the activities at the border. If we really need money than we have so many religious organizations, they should come forward. It is their responsibility. We offer so much many when we visit the religious shrines, so they should help the government.”
(With India Today Inputs)
