New normal the regular now
Young Bangladesh opener Saif Hassan tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. But did that change any plans in proceedings for other cricketers? The simple answer is no. Players yesterday again resumed individual training at different BCB facilities across the country following a few days' gap after a few members of the support staff had displayed coronavirus-like symptoms.
Will things ever be the same again? We do not know. But what we do know is everything will go on despite any abnormalities.
When coronavirus had forced shut all sporting activities in the country back in March, a wave of panic had engulfed everyone; and rightly so as people were just finding ways to fight the virus. But as days passed, people gathered more knowledge about ways to cope with the virus and normalcy gradually returned.
Yes, this is now the new normal -- people carrying on doing everything they used to while coping with the virus.
It has been a while since cricketers started individual practice with BCB providing facilities while maintaining safety measures. Even one of the five bilateral series postponed due to the pandemic has now been slated in the form of the three-Test tour of Sri Lanka next month.
The BCB started conducting Covid-19 tests for players and staff, a prerequisite in the new-normal era prior to any tours. Bangladesh opener Saif and BCB head of Physical Performance Nick Lee tested positive while showing no symptoms leading up to sample collections. And as protocol entails, they will now go into isolation until another test.
The BCB has lined up three more phases of testing scheduled for September 18, 21 and 24, with the final test being done 72 hours before the Tigers board the Sri Lanka-bound flight. It is likely that more cricketers and management staff will test positive for coronavirus.
But should that halt all the proceedings? The recommended and wise path would be to carry on while maintaining safety protocols -- isolating the infected players and monitoring them till their next test.
Take Pakistan's recently-concluded tour of England as an example. A series that was labelled by Misbahul Haq, Pakistan's head coach, as a 'very important series both for Pakistan and the world' after its completion, saw Pakistan touring UK despite having as many as ten coronavirus-positive players ahead of the tour. All those players had to comply with protocol and a few of them were later allowed to join the squad after testing negative.
Even other disciplines are planning on going ahead with regular activities while complying with the virus protocols. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is looking at ways to start the domestic league despite 18 players and an official testing positive ahead of their training camp for World Cup qualifiers. That camp was eventually halted after FIFA and AFC postponed the matches in light of deterioration of the coronavirus situation in Asia.
Taekwondo, meanwhile, became the first discipline in the country to make a comeback with its poomsae competition earlier this month. Even news of high-profile international football players like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe testing positive for the virus are not seeing any unprecedented halt in football leagues or competitions anymore.
Athletes testing positive and then being isolated till the respective federations give them green light to return is now a part of the new normal as everything keeps on going.
Perhaps it is time for the athletes, much like everyone else, to acknowledge the truth that the world is moving on and there is no point being scared anymore.