POWELL in down time
Jamaica and Windies all-rounder Rovman Powell says he is using the COVID-19 break to strengthen his body in time for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 (T20) cricket competition, scheduled for August.
The global spread of the virus has resulted in a number of sporting events being postponed or cancelled, but CPL organisers have said they expect to be able to run the league as planned late this summer.
Powell recently returned to the Windies’ oneday international and T20 teams in February for the tour of Sri Lanka after being sideline for six months due to injury, said he has been using the time off to ensure that he is fully fit in time for the CPL.
“I have gotten over all my injuries and I am using this little period to strengthen,” he said.
“I haven’t done any extensive batting in a while now because we can’t have team training or group training, so it is basically just fitness at the moment. I have been doing a little bit of running around my apartment complex and there is a little field close by where I also do some work.”
ENSURING MEASURES FOR PREVENTION
The 26-year-old Powell has an average of 23.29 runs in 34 ODI matches and an average of 20.50 in T20. He said that he has been doing all that he can to ensure that he doesn’t contract COVID-19.
“It is an unfortunate situation to see what is happening and to see all the persons that have been affected severely,” Powell said. “I just consider myself fortunate that it hasn’t troubled anybody I am close with, but it is devastating and hopefully in the near future it can pass.
“The important thing is that once this thing passes, life continues and things will speed up, especially sports. People will try their very best to make back the money that they lost due to COVID 19.
“I was looking forward to the South Africa tour of the Caribbean and I was looking forward to the CPL, but we haven’t heard any word on CPL as yet.”