Club cricket cancelled on the West Side as COVID-19 cases skyrocket

— McGill rues bittersweet moment

By Timothy Jaikarran

Months have gone by with cricketers being forced to watch from the sidelines as the COVID-19 pandemic holds the world to ransom.
Like a thief in the night, this pandemic sneaked into nations all around the world and imposed a complete halt to all sporting activities. With Guyana being predominantly a cricket-loving nation, the absence of any level of cricket, whether first or second division, has had a deleterious effect on the local cricketers.
As at August 21, 2020, Guyana’s COVID-19 cases stood at 843 and rising, but cricket activities resumed on the Demerara West Side last Sunday; however, within the space of one week, those activities were again suspended. At least, this is what the members of the McGill Superstars Club have decided in order to ensure their safety and that of their fans.
Speaking with this publication, club member Travis Persaud, when asked about the situation, said: “We restarted because there was a halt in COVID-19 cases. But now that it is on the rise, we are no longer participating in any cricket.
“Well, we were tracking the COVID-19 pandemic, and we noticed that there was a minor halt in the amount of positive cases; so we decided to restart cricket with a friendly encounter, but adhering to the measures set it place.
“We tried as best as possible to follow all procedures to limit the risk of anyone getting the virus. None experiencing any symptom was allowed to play or be at the venue. There was no one at the venue other than the teams and officials.”
Persaud noted that this has been a poignant, bittersweet moment for the club; and he said he is most disappointed because he had been looking forward to playing some cricket, since it has been a while that any game has been played.
He said the players will now be forced to go back to the proverbial square one after tasting victory, as they would have to repeat the process of indoor training yet again.
As to when it would be safe to come outside, he said the world may never know, but for now, the players of the McGill Superstars sports club would be anxiously awaiting their moment to return to the field.