Cricket has been affected by the pandemic greatly. Fans have been missing the ground and the players have been the fuss at stadiums. The Hundred is about to unravel and women’s cricket is going to unroll on the English soil.
Katherine Brunt and Elyse Vilani have recently spoken to the media and their spirits are all set to give their best. We, as cricket fans, and people throughout the globe have pondered on what would the absence mean for the game of cricket. Katherine Brunt has said that the absence of spectators will have no personal edge over her performance as a player.
She said that coming from Derby, she has realized that these factors have not affected her game. She further told Sky Sports that “It’s a shame, but I don’t need a crowd to make me play better. You don’t realize how much you are in the heat of the battle when you’re playing cricket, even more so at this level”.
She further took the instance of several sporting events like NFL or UFC and highlighted that the absence of fans has not affected her viewing experience. Brunt further added that “I’ve seen how much hard work and money has gone in to put cricket on behind closed doors. At least we’ve got ways and means to do it safely and we know we can be keeping people entertained”.
Elyse Villani, too, has been staying with her and playing with Melbourne Stars. She said that professionals at an elite level will have no complications considering they have had the experience of covid bio-bubbles. She said that “As long as you’re in the right place and you’re looked after by the right people, times like that shouldn’t be too hard. It should be one for the memory bank, one you can tell your kids in the future”.
Both the stars have stated that the tournament will be a big hit and fans will accept the event wholeheartedly. Vilani said that “It’s very exciting and I’m keen to experience it, that’s for sure. As long as you’re able to showcase the format and the talent through TV and online, it’ll bring about the same outcomes”.
While the game suffers the dearth of spectators on the ground, players shall ensure that catching the action on television sets is no less exciting either.
A student who enjoys studying cricket more than anything else, keen to learn the insights of the women’s game.