For England pacer James Anderson, the desperation to get back on the park is so powerful that he wouldn't mind going through his delivery stride without anyone watching at the stadium. Anderson is completely open to the idea of playing games behind closed doors in bio-secure venues amid the COVID-19 health crisis.
All England players will return to limited individual skill-based training next week amid assurances over health protocols that would make it feasible for them to prepare for the already curtailed summer.
Read Also: Kevin Pietersen worried over England's pace stocks beyond Anderson, Broad
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is hoping to schedule the Test series against West Indies, originally due to be played in June, in the month of July. However, there is no way those matches could be played in normal circumstances, with fans allowed to turn up, at this stage.
"It's exciting in a way we're actually talking about the possibility of playing cricket this summer," Anderson, England's highest Test wicket-taker, said on Friday (May 15) during an Instagram Live with new-ball partner, Stuart Broad.
"I think as long as everything is in place with safety concerns then I'll be pretty comfortable playing," he added. "We've been a part of the England set-up for a long time now. We've got some great people working on every possibility and outcome from this summer and going forwards."
To deal with the deafening silence, however, wouldn't be so easy for players.
"It's quite easy to play in front of a big crowd because of the intensity, you have to be on top of your game," explained Anderson, 37.
“If there are no people there you have to try and find your own energy and intensity from somewhere."
"To be honest, it will be pretty similar to county cricket!"
At training, Broad expects finding the groove back to be a lengthy process, something Anderson concurred with.
"It's going to take us eight or nine bowling sessions I reckon for us to feel like our bodies are ready to get going," said Broad, before Anderson added, "Yeah it's hard. As much as you can bowl in your garden or with a tennis ball or whatever, nothing replicates practice or (being) out in the middle so we've got to give ourselves time to get back into it."
"And I think the other thing is not to get frustrated again because it's been so long since we bowled. If a few balls go where you don't want them, you've just got to bide your time while you get back into it," he concluded.
(Inputs from AFP)
