England opener Jason Roy wouldn't mind playing cricket behind closed doors if it comes down to that amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roy, in fact, experienced playing in an empty stadium recently when the last few games of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 first round were played without crowd presence due to the viral outbreak.
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"No atmosphere. Simple as that to be honest. It was a very strange feeling," said the 29-year-old as per AFP while recalling that experience.
"You’re used to, as a batsman, with the bowler running in, it being relatively quiet. You learn to block out the crowd but then as soon as that ball’s done you hear the crowd going absolutely berserk and over there when that was the case it was dead silence, it was the strangest thing," he added.
However, despite that "strange" feeling, Roy is desperate to get back on the park. "I’m more than happy to play behind closed doors. I think it would be nice just to get out there," he said, confirming his stance, which shall come in handy to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), as it contemplates all options to safeguard the home summer that remains suspended till at least July 1.
"I’m shadow-batting in the mirror, I’m looking pretty good," he joked. "So that’s all I can do, to be honest, hitting a tennis ball against my wall here at home, going a bit stir crazy."
Roy is among many English cricketers who volunteered for 20 per cent pay cut till the end of June to help the game survive this period.
The Surrey right-hander also responded to the comments made by Barcelona footballer Ivan Rakitic, who told the Spanish press that he is willing to take the field despite the health crisis that is going on.
“If an individual wants to go onto the front line and put himself at risk then good on him but if someone doesn’t want to, then I don’t think they should be ashamed of it either," said Roy.
"Whatever’s right in that situation. If the country desperately needs us to play cricket to make themselves feel better... but I’m not sure that’s the case."
(Inputs from AFP)
