Mohammed Shami
Five cricketer stars on Sunday boosted the morale of the country which is presently fighting against the dreaded virus, urging all to stay alert and stay at home.
In an exclusive conversation with India TV, veteran Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, called for his countrymen to unite in the battle against the dreaded virus and follow the rules of quarantine.
"Everything slips out of our hands if we give up instead of putting up a last-minute fight. In this current situation, let's unite and see what people around us need. We often ignore simple things like this in such a crisis. Stay at home and follow hygiene measures. There's nothing wrong in being COVID-19 positive. You've to follow 14-day quarantine and fight against the virus. We've to stay alert and urge people to get tested. If any person in your family is showing any symptom, make him quarantine away from other members," said the cricketer who is expected to leave India for England in a few days owing to the World Test Championship final and the five-Test series against England.
Avesh Khan, who was impressive with his tally of 14 wickets in the curtailed IPL 2021 season earlier this month, spoke about the challenges of self-isolation.
"It's challenging to stay alone in a room for around a week. You've to be mentally strong when you keep thinking about staying isolated within four walls," said the Delhi Capitals bowler.
Standing a position above him in the Purple Cap race with 17 wickets, Royal Challengers Bangalore bowler Harshal Patel, who is presently in the USA with his parents, expressed that he missed being part of any competition.
""I'm currenty in the USA. There's no cricket here but I enjoy playing in my backyard here. An athlete always misses competition. I quarantined myself for seven days after coming back from IPL 2021. In this current situation, it's important to take precautions. You don't want to feel guilty if your parents get infected with the virus because of you," said Harshal.
Young cricketer Shubman Gill, who will accompany Shami to England for the Test contests, will spoke largely on the same lines, talking about the difficulties of quarantine rules.
"This is a tough for everyone. It's important to stay at home for the safety of our family. People who have recovered from COVID-19 should also come forward to donate plasma. As a country, we should stay united and help each other in these trying times," said Gill to India TV.
"The quarantine period is quite hard. For 14 days, you're confined to your room. We cricketers often watch movies or work out in the room to keep ourselves busy. But quarantine is certainly tough to follow," Gill on bio-bubble."
