Melbourne: Quarantined briefly for suspected COVID-19 before being found negative, Australian pacer Kane Richardson says he thought it was all a joke at first.
It all happened during the ODI series against New Zealand but he did not rejoin the squad as the series was called off considering the worsening COVID-19 situation.
“I was at risk because I’d travelled overseas within (the previous) two weeks and I had one of the four symptoms, so that was the reason I got tested,” the 29-year-old told cricket.com.au’s The Unplayable Podcast.
“I thought it was all a joke at the time but (the team doctor) was adamant it wasn’t.”
The fast bowler said he was not expecting a positive test result. “He (team doctor) spoke to various people on the phone to make sure he was doing the right thing and got the biggest swab I’ve ever seen out and stuck it into the back of my nose and back of my mouth, so it wasn’t a pleasurable experience but that was the protocol so I was happy to go along with it.
“I wasn’t expecting a positive result and thankfully that’s what happened… I’m all good and I got the OK to go outside and in the fresh air again,” said Richardson.
With sporting events around the world cancelled or postponed indefinitely, there is also uncertainly over the IPL which has been postponed till at least April 15.
Seventeen Australians, including Richardson, hold IPL contracts. The lucrative league was supposed to start March 29. “We’re just waiting to hear (on IPL). A lot of the blokes have opinions — ‘it’s going to get cancelled’, this and that — but again it can change in a day or a week, so I’ll just sit by the phone and get ready to play for the 15th at the moment — that’s what I’m thinking.
“(The Australia squad) were all sitting around chatting about it. It’s happened out of nowhere. A lot of us were going to be away from now till the end of the IPL, so to now be sitting at home with absolutely no idea when the next game of cricket is going to be for any of us, just shows how quickly this has grown.”
The situation has been deteriorating rapidly and like many, Richardson did not see it coming. “Even a week ago we were flying back from South Africa and there was no thought of coronavirus at all in the air or when we got back to the airport.
“It’s hard to believe we’re sitting here at home with everything being cancelled but when you watch the news and see what’s going on in the world, it’s definitely the right call.
“I think the main issue that a lot of boys had was travelling away from home and if you happen to catch it, you’re stuck in a hotel room for two weeks. That’s the sticking point I reckon a lot of the guys were uncomfortable with,” he added.
PTI
