Former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who holds the record for bowling the fastest delivery in international cricket, shared an interesting point of view, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and majority of the Muslims believe that the devils are chained during this period of time.   

ICC Umpire climbs trees for mobile network

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite Panel Umpire Anil Chaudhary, who hails from India, is stuck in his village Dangrol in the Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district due to the 21-day lockdown in the country.  

He decided to visit the place after the postponement of ODI series between India and South Africa last month due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The biggest problem is the network here. I can’t talk to anyone or use the internet. To be able to do that I have to go outside the village, climb up a tree or go to the rooftop. Then also the network is not available all the time,” Chaudhary was quoted as saying by Economic Times.

Buttler's World Cup final shirt raises £65,000

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has raised more than £65,000 ($80,000) to help fight the coronavirus by auctioning off his World Cup final shirt.

Buttler's shirt, which he wore when completing the last-ball run-out that saw England beat New Zealand at Lord's last year, was sold to raise money for specialist heart and lung centres provided by the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals in London.

Buttler, who earlier in the showpiece match had hit a fifty and batted in the Super Over, put his long-sleeve keeping jersey up for sale on eBay a week ago.

By the time the auction closed on Tuesday, the shirt had attracted 82 bids with the winner paying £65,100.

Raja says world will soon follow PM Imran's COVID-19 approach

Former Pakistan opener Ramiz Raja believes that the entire world will soon follow Prime Minister Imran Khan’s approach on dealing with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The duo were part of Pakistan’s triumphant 1992 World Cup campaign with Imran Khan leading the side.

Dar urges people to donate blood for thalassemia patients

The International Cricket Council (ICC)’s umpire Aleem Dar, who hails from Pakistan, has urged the entire nation to donate blood for thalassemia patients.

The partial lockdown in Pakistan, due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, has severely restricted travel and has reportedly made it hard for thalassemia patients to access regular blood transfusions.

Background

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has killed and infected thousands of people around the world, has brought sporting activities to a standstill including cricket.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), in a press release, announced their further action in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic which merely confirmed straitened times for the game amid the coronavirus outbreak.

After careful evaluation of the current situation and with the health and well-being of the global cricket family the priority, all ICC qualifying events due to take place before 30 June will be postponed subject to further review. The decision has been taken in conjunction with Members and in line with the relevant government and public health authority advice.

All major international cricket series, including England's tour of South Africa and the final ODIs and T20Is of New Zealand's visit to Australia, have already been cancelled.

The last two one-day internationals between India and South Africa were also scrapped.

The start of India's IPL, originally scheduled for March 29, was delayed until at least April 15.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was also postponed indefinitely after the completion of the round-robin stage of the tournament.

No professional cricket will be played in England and Wales before May 28 due to the coronavirus pandemic, cricket chiefs announced on Friday.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) approved a seven-week delay to the start of the 2020 season, so no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales before May 28.

The coronavirus pandemic has virtually wiped out the global sporting calendar for the next few months.

Through the ‘Isolation Chatter’ will be covering the activities of individuals associated with the game of cricket and their efforts to improve the health and well-being of people around the world.

We hope that our ‘Isolation Chatter’ will be a source of contentment in these stressful times. Sending love and solidarity to healthcare workers and human beings everywhere. Stay home, stay safe. 

Previous version of Isolation Chatter can be found here.