Jos Buttler has told his England team-mates to put away their search for perfection and get ready to play international cricket without a warm-up.
Buttler reckons the new normal will take some getting used to, with limited preparation, matches without fans and even being in quarantine ahead of the game all a likely possibility.
But the World Cup winner believes it’s important for players to be open to the unusual circumstances in order for the game to return on TV whenever it is safe to do so.
“One thing every player has got to be open to is that it is going to be very different,” said Buttler.
“We are not going to go straight back to cricket as we know it.
“If we have to play certain formats and they are back to back and you can’t play both, then so be it.
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“It might be that we don’t get the ideal preparation. We might suddenly get the green light that we can start in two weeks, when you haven’t been practising, and you just need to say ‘Fine, we’ve got to go and play’ even if you haven’t picked up a bat in a few months.
“Something that can bring you comfort is the fact that everyone is in the same position. It is not like you’ve been injured and everyone else has been playing.
“Potentially you may not have the perfect circumstances in which to play but we have to deal with that as best we can and accept that it will be different.
“We are likely to be playing in front of empty stadiums to start with, but as much as you can you should mentally prepare for that now so it is not as big a shock when it comes round to it.”
The other mental challenge for players will be trying to play without worrying too much about the risks involved, even though they will be minimised.
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Buttler was asked to captain England in Bangladesh in 2016 when Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales were uncomfortable about travelling and there could be some nervousness around the first game back too.
“I’m sure there will be people nervous to start again,” said Buttler.
“There will be some natural apprehension and there will be some performance anxiety as well having not played for a while.
“But I’m sure people will listen to the expert advice as much as they can and I know the ECB are very aware of that with safety paramount.”
And yet while sport has very much been put into perspective by the crisis, it will still have a major role to play in lifting the nation after lockdown.
Buttler added: “Some people will be missing the arts and things like live music, but for me and so many others, the return of sport will give us a huge lift when it is safe to do so.”
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* Jos Buttler has been told his World Cup winning shirt will provide the Royal Brompton Hospital with 40 brand new ventilators to help the fight against Covid19.
Buttler auctioned off his shirt for a whopping £65,100 and couldn’t be happier with what the money will provide the NHS hospital where his wife Louise’s aunt works as the head of paediatrics.
And the England stumper is not done yet with his amazing fundraising efforts as he is taking part in the NHS Charities Cup tournament alongside England team-mates Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Joe Root.
“The money is going across to the hospital charity next week and they’ve been in touch to tell us that they are going to buy 40 new ventilators with it which is fantastic news,” said Buttler, who beat former rugby star Nick Easter 4-0 in his first game of the FIFA20 tournament.
“The NHS needs all the support we can give it at the moment so it is nice to be able to help when people need it most.
“If there is anything good that has come about from this difficult situation it is the way in which people have come together and the generosity there is out there for good causes.
“The NHS Charities Cup is a great initiative and I’m glad to get the console out again. We are in a privileged position to be able to help so I think it is right that we do so.”
