No new recipes for downcast Jahanara
The Bangladesh women's national cricket team were one of the last sporting teams to return home before the coronavirus outbreak, landing in Dhaka on March 2 after completing their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign in Australia.
The cricketers were happy to get home safely but things escalated over the next few days, with sport worldwide halted in a global effort to contain the spread of the virus.
Restrictions were also imposed on movement and public transport by the government which led to all-rounder Jahanara Alam being unable to return to her hometown of Khulna and deciding to self-isolate at her Dhaka residence.
"I contemplated training for a few more days before returning home but the sudden coronavirus threat changed everything and I decided to stay in Dhaka and not move. It's a very anxious time for me, I have never experienced anything like this in my entire life. At the same time, not being able to play cricket also makes it extremely boring," Jahanara told The Daily Star.
The pace bowling all-rounder, who is one of the most successful bowlers in the Bangladesh team, also enjoys cooking and sadly reported that her quest to learn new recipes during the time had also gone awry due to the unpleasant atmosphere.
"I love to cook whenever I am at home but recently, I've found that I don't even feel like cooking anymore. I try to pray, do some shadow practice and free-hand fitness exercises but something still feels amiss. It's a very critical time for all of us and we must ensure our safety first. I would like to request everyone to remain home and stay with your family and take care of your health," she added.
Similar to other upcoming events worldwide that have been postponed, the upcoming women's fifty over World Cup qualifiers scheduled from July in Sri Lanka this year are also in jeopardy.
However, according to Bangladesh T20 skipper Salma Khatun, the main focus for everyone should be on the precautionary measures being advised by the WHO and government.
"This situation is something very unusual for everyone but you must acknowledge that life comes first, ahead of everything else. And we should collectively follow the instructions to remain safe. We should all do our civic duty and stay home to make sure we don't spread this virus and cause further damage," Salma said.
The 29-year-old added that it would be important for the players to take this solitary time to work on their individual fitness at home in order to prepare for upcoming events because she believes everything will become normal soon.
"You have to remain positive, I am certain that everything will be fine again. We have to be prepared for the coming days. It is the best time to evaluate your game mentally given the amount of free time we have on our hands now. We should work on our fitness at home so that we are prepared to play, given short notice, when the time comes," she said.
It's safe to say that the entire world is going through a terrible ordeal but optimists such as Jahanara and Salma believe that proper safety measures and a collective, organised effort can help us navigate our way out of this pandemic in a short span of time.