England legend James Anderson opens up on anxiety caused by coronavirus' impact
English pacer James Anderson revealed his concern regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how it has had an impact on his personal and professional life.
Anderson, 37, frankly admitted that there's a chance of no cricketing action being there over the summer as country cricket was set to begin on April 12th, while England play West Indies early in June.
There is, however, a discussion going on currently which could see the domestic and international summer being either moved or rendered void altogether. The ECB are reportedly set to decide the fate of their cricket along with all 18 counties on Thursday.
Speaking on BBC's Tailender podcast, Anderson expressed,
"Cricket and sport is not the be all and end all but it is my livelihood, it's all I know."
"The season is unlikely to start. It's still a little bit hazy as to what's going to happen. There's a chance we might not even bowl a ball this summer."
"I feel a little bit anxious. Just the not knowing is giving me a bit of anxiety."
The iconic pacer is England's all-time highest wicket-taker in Test cricket and last represented his country in red-ball cricket against South Africa during January. However, a rib injury in the second Test forced him to withdraw from the series at the time.
Also see – IPL team list
In the hope of being fit for the summer cricket season after a proper recovery, he wasn't a part of England's two-Test series squad against Sri Lanka, which was eventually called off due to the coronavirus epidemic. Things also escalated when the news of Alex Hales and several other Surrey men's players being in self-isolation broke.
The impact of the current predicament was felt by Anderson not only on a professional level but a personal one too. He continued about the well-being of his family, saying,
"Also trying to keep a young family healthy. I am trying to stay calm, follow the guidelines."
"My wife's mum and dad live in Spain so they are in lockdown. They are in the age group where there are concerns. The anxiety is building up in our house because of not knowing what will happen in the next few months."
As of right now, all forms of cricket have been officially suspended by the ECB.