DENLY’S GLOOM AT THE INN FOR CHRISTMAS
THE life of an international sportsman might appear to be a glamorous existence – but Joe Denly would probably beg to differ.
Kent man Denly, 34, is currently in the midst of a two-week stint in a balconyless hotel room in Perth, Australia, following his arrival for the Big Bash.
Denly’s quarantine incarceration incorporates Christmas Day and won’t end until December 29. He won’t be going short of contemplation time, as he reflects on a summer he spent in the England bubble – but only played one Test and one T20 international.
Denly said: “You’re basically not allowed out of your room here. I’ve got a treadmill, a bike, some weights so I’m able to stay active and maintain fitness.
“But gym and training only takes up a couple of hours of your day – you have to find something else to do with your time.
“I’m a bit bored of Netflix and boxsets and I’m not much of a reader.
“I’m going to try not to think about the days I’ve got left. Focus on tomorrow.”
It’s the attitude you expect from a player who didn’t make his Test debut until the age of 32.
After almost 10 years without a cap in any format
– having made his ODI and T20 debuts back in 2009 – Denly played a full role in England’s Ashes campaign in 2019.
But then during the spectator-free summer this year he was leap-frogged by the likes of Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley.
“I’d love to still be involved in all forms for England,” Denly said.
“I still feel like I can play a big part and there’s a lot of cricket coming up in 2021. You’ve got the World Cup and then the Ashes.
“The most important thing for me, though, is playing – I felt I had become a bit stale. Coming away and performing in strong competitions like the Big Bash, hopefully that gives the selectors a nudge.”
Let’s hope the hotel catering staff pull out all the stops for him on Christmas Day too.