As England set to return to training next week amid the COVID-19 crisis, former England cricketer-turned-commentator Kevin Pietersen believes that the game should only resume when it is safe for everyone despite the fact that players are ready to play in this pandemic situation.
Despite the UK is one of the worst COVID-19 affected countries, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is in line to resume cricket first among other board, as the ECB has already announced that up to 18 bowlers will be involved in training across seven venues from Thursday. The batsmen and wicketkeepers will start training from June 1 in England, says ECB.
Pietersen said: “Cricket is a part of the world’s entertainment package in so many countries just like football, rugby, and tennis. So, when it gets back it will get back okay and players will want to play but it’s going to be different as players will be playing behind closed doors.”
He further added, “But it should only return when it’s safe to do so, the players’ safety, the administrators’ safety, people at the ground; everyone must be safe and comfortable.”
Meanwhile, Pietersen said Jofra Archer, who is one of the 16 bowlers called for training by ECB, needs to be protected by England as well as the team management should also look at his schedule in order to manage his workload and injury, saying he needs to be spoken into this matter.
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He further explained, “Jofra Archer’s schedule’s going to have to be looked at and he is also going to have to be protected. Archer needs to be spoken to in a manner of which what do you want to play and when do you want to play how do you want to play because you want him bowling 95 mph ever single session. You don’t want to bowl him 25 overs a day in a Test, maybe 15 overs odd and really get the best out of him. In ODIs and T20Is he’s a superstar so you don’t need to worry about him.”
On the other hand, it’s has been a roller-coaster ride for Joe Root both as captain and batsman since the strongly contested drawn Ashes series at home last year, but he has shown good sign with the bat during New Zealand and South Africa Tests.
Pietersen signed off by saying, “Root did not have the best Ashes but he had a wonderful tour of South Africa and he really got himself together. The team understood him and he made great changes. He was awesome. As a broadcaster I was incredibly proud as to how he led that tour after coming under lots of scrutinies at the start.”
(With CricketNext Inputs)
