Stuart Broad felt excited to be back at training after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The England fast bowler, as well his pace mate Chris Woakes, were the first cricketers to return to individual training on Thursday (May 21).
Broad and Woakes are part of the 18-member list of bowlers that were selected by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for individual training sessions at seven different grounds.
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While Broad hit the ground running at Trent Bridge (Nottingham), Edgbaston (Birmingham) is where Woakes went through the drills.
There is no certainty over when we will get to enjoy the on-field action again. But in the meantime, Broad's Instagram video post, where he could be seen going through the delivery stride, provided some much-needed relief and optimism.
"So much work has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible. Thanks to all the people @englandcricket & @trentbridge who have been involved, I really appreciate it. Felt great to be back out there having a bowl. Loved it," wrote England's second-highest Test wicket-taker.
No professional cricket will be played in the UK until at least July 1 due to the outbreak.
England's home series against West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Ireland are under serious threat. Plans are to go ahead with those fixtures in bio-secure venues, without crowd-presence, in the period starting July. But given the travelling restrictions in place all over the world, how that might happen is anyone's guess.
Domestically, the inaugural edition of 'The Hundred' has been postponed to 2021.
It is expected that not a single ball of first-class cricket will be bowled in England this summer, as all county clubs hurt from the financial crisis during this phase.
Hopes are for the T20 Blast to take place at some stage in order to get a bit of relief.
