How cricket is helping in the fight against COVID19?

COVID-19 – A strand of illness caused by coronavirus – has spread at a rapid rate across the world, plunging cricket and other sports into an ocean of uncertainty.

Wealthy athletes have really stepped up and done what they can to help in the battle against coronavirus. Former Manchester United players Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have opened the doors of their hotels – including the iconic Hotel Football, right next to Old Trafford – to NHS workers, providing free accommodation.

Boxer Amir Khan also made a grand gesture, loaning his £5 million wedding venue – spanning 60,000 square foot – to the NHS so that they can convert it into a field hospital. And Cristian Ronaldo is also in on the act, offering up his hotels as temporary coronavirus treatment centres.

But what is cricket doing to help the worldwide fight against coronavirus?

Here, we take a look at some of the cricket superstars stepping up to help during this coronavirus outbreak:

Bangladesh donate wages

While some countries have received very significant bailouts and safety nets – including a president Trump-sanctioned $2 trillion package – Bangladesh has no such relief fund in place. That makes the gesture of the Bangladesh international cricket team all the more important, as 27 players have banded together and pledged half of their monthly wages to the government.

After tax, the total contribution is estimated at around 25 lakh taka – equivalent to just under £25,000. It won’t be enough on its own, but it’s a solid start.

4,000 masks en route to India

Despite pleas from health officials not to panic-buy, facemasks have been one of the biggest sellers during the coronavirus crisis – which has led to shortages where they’re most needed.

Two Indian cricket stars are looking to remedy that by donating 4,000 face masks in the name of the Mehmood Khan Pathan Charitable Trust. The gesture was made by brothers Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, and will certainly go down well in a country which recently entered a strict lockdown.

Raining rupees in Sri Lanka

There might not be any cricket happening in Sri Lanka, as all domestic events have been indefinitely postponed, but that doesn’t mean the clubs aren’t active behind the scenes.

In fact, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has promised a massive 25 million rupees to help the government battle COVID-19.

At the time of writing, only one COVID-19-related death had been reported in Sri Lanka, yet matches are off and players are remaining indoors. Coupled with this contribution from the SLC, it’s reassuring to see how proactive Sri Lanka is being in the face of the outbreak.

Bengal battle the virus

With India facing extreme lockdown measures in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is handing over a chunky contribution of Rs 25 lakh.

“We are perhaps going through the darkest phase of human civilization,” said CAB president Avishek Dalmiya. “Cricket stands for unity. It also stands for humanity. Therefore, on behalf of CAB, we have decided to donate Rs 25 lakh to the Emergency Relief Fund, to be used in combating this disease.

“As a responsible institution, it is our duty to stand by the administration and help them eradicate this disease.”

Cricket is a sport which involves a lot of money. ICC Cricket World Cups attracting millions of viewers and hence a lot of sponsors and television contracts. The traditional Indian Premier League (IPL) auction where players are traded for millions of dollars. Consequently betting on cricket online surges which naturally is a huge income to any state where betting is legal.

With so much money pumped into cricket, it’s refreshing to see that, in the world’s time of need, cricket stars and institutions are willing to step up and do the noble thing.