SURREY CAPTAIN BURNS FACES AN UNEASY WAIT
ENGLAND OPENER RORY BURNS REVEALS HOW HE’S BEEN COPING WITH LIFE IN LOCKDOWN
ENGLAND opener Rory Burns discusses lockdown life with the PA news agency. Here the Surrey captain talks TikTok, awkward quiz questions and book clubs.
How are you coping with the lack of cricket?
“To be nowhere near a cricket environment at this time of year when that’s your bread and butter is quite a weird feeling. It’s not the norm and it’s not something any of us expected. It’s quite bizarre to have this uncertainty in your life, not knowing when you can get out and do your job but most of the population is in the same sphere.”
What are your most creative home workouts?
“The ECB and Surrey have been very good providing kit so I’ve got the kettlebells, medicine balls and resistance bands. It’s all in the front room which has had to become your restaurant, your cafe and your gym. I’ve joined ‘TikTok’ in lockdown and my wife and I have been doing some creative stuff - lifting each other up and things like that.”
Are you able to work on any cricket skills?
“Mostly it’s just fitness and conditioning but I’ve got a couple of bats lying around which I pick up and waft from time to time. I’ll stand in front of the mirror and make sure the bat is coming down straight, or as straight as it can with my technique!
I know a few of the lads are bowling in their garden into bed sheets but that’s about as far as it goes with cricket.”
What is your message to the fans?
“Just to try and stay as sane as possible and stay healthy. We’ll ride this out as a country and hopefully we’ll get to see each other some time soon down at the Kia Oval.”
How do you see the season playing out?
“Fitting a full Championship season in is difficult enough at any time but with the season being condensed prioritising the white-ball formats might be the way to go. But we’re not preparing for playing cricket right now because if you keep second-guessing things all the time it’s not going to work. If we get the news one day that we’re playing in three weeks then we’ll knuckle down and be ready.”
Will things be different for players when cricket comes back?
“You’ve got to look for positives. When we come out of this people will be hungry, energy levels will be right up. I think you’re going to see a renewed hunger.”
How can the club help the wider community?
“The whole squad did a phone around recently. Part of it was a quiz and the second question was ‘Who is the current Surrey captain?.’ It would have been a stinker for me if they’d got that one wrong but thankfully they remembered. It is an uncertain time and it’s nice to have that outside presence, a bit of craic. Some of the guys have done their own things – Rikki Clarke has volunteered as an NHS responder and Amar Virdi has been working with a local chef to help the homeless.”
What have you been reading or watching in isolation?
“I’ve just started reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I’ve seen the film but thought it was time I read the book too. I’ve started a bit of a book club with one of my friends outside cricket and we’ve put a list together, usually I go for philosophical or self-improvement stuff. I’d always recommend The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday.”