Massiah urges cricketers to make use of isolation period

… to return to the basics of “ball and socks”

By Timothy Jaikarran

The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc on the health system of Guyana, and all forms of sport are postponed indefinitely.
As such, Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Competitions Committee Chairman Shaun Massiah is urging all players to make the most of their time during isolation.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Massiah boldly stated that it was his belief that cricketers should return to basic training, since they were unable to gather and practice with their fellow cricketers.
“I want to use this opportunity [to say] to all the cricketers to use this time to push in work at home. Go back to the basics, the use of ball and socks is recommended; they can push in the hours and see as many as they can get such as facing 1000+ balls. This will help to improve their hand-eye coordination, so when the COVID-19 has passed, it would somehow help them with their scoring. If this is done, a lot of runs will definitely be scored,” Massiah noted.
He also went on to state that he felt for the bowlers, because if they did not have the yard space necessary, they would not be able to use their run-up or even put the ball in the right areas. He said it was his belief that the bowlers would have it tough when they hit the field.
Massiah also pointed out that he was urging all players to maintain their work ethics and keep on training. “If they have a lot of yard space, they can go through their paces; if they don’t, they can do a lot of push-ups, pull-ups, skipping, basically just getting yourselves in tune. So, when the season resumes, they are not lazy or overweight,” Massiah opined.
The Competitions Committee Chairman went on to relay that he believed that a lot of centuries would be scored when cricket resumed. He stated that he was currently using the “ball and socks” method of training and he was aiming to hit 1000 balls per day as it has aided him in improving his timing.
In closing, Massiah reiterated that while the batters may have it easier, he was pleading with the bowlers to use this time to do a lot of strengthening so when sports resume, everyone would be in the best shape of their lives.