If we go back just 5 months, it's not hard to remember how the cricket boards seemed to be worried

about the fitness of their players when there was a tight schedule and too many games, and because of
that abuse, many teams gave players rest. Had started implementing the strategy. 

It was an excess of the same schedule that also fostered the tendency of different teams to play all three
styles of cricket, so that the players could relax and play better. 

But then came the Corona virus, which, as it were, turned the whole system upside down. Every sector, from
politics to the economy and from sports to tourism, has been so badly affected that it is now difficult to
predict what the world will look like after the epidemic.

The corona virus is still affecting thousands of people daily in various countries around the world, but the
severity of the disease has dropped significantly in several European countries, and sports activities are
being revived in those countries, among other activities. 

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The various football leagues in Europe have also started after a long hiatus, while the game of cricket is
fortunately on a journey of recovery. 

The West Indies and Pakistan teams paved the way for the return of international cricket with the promise of
a tour of England, beginning with the Test match between the West Indies and England at Southampton on
June 8. Played till June 12 in which the guest West Indies surprisingly won. 

The Test match, which was played on a field empty of spectators, also had some interesting events that were
unique and unique, and perhaps never seen before on the cricket field. Here are some interesting elements to
keep readers interested.

Cricket returns after 117 days

When Test cricket began in the late 19th century, due to the limited number of teams, international cricket
was held for only a few days throughout the year. 

Then when air travel was not available or very little was available, in those days teams had to travel by ship
to travel from one country to another and even this difficult travel situation was an obstacle to the
continuation of cricket matches. Were 

But then over time, not only did the number of countries participating in the game increase, but the facilities
also increased, and so did the engagement of the game. 

In the presence of these 3 formats and a dozen teams, the cricket schedule of the year became the
busiest. There was hardly a part of the year when no series was being played. That is why the habit of
cricket fans and spectators had deteriorated to such an extent that according to the person, even their food
could not be digested without watching the match.

In this situation, the 117-day ban on cricket matches would be a difficult and painful process for cricket fans,
at least in words. 

So now the hope is that one-day and T20 cricket will return soon after the return of Test cricket.

Attempts to highlight the issue of racial prejudice

Before the start of the match, England and West Indies players and team management members sat on one
knee and expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter campaign.
Various players, including West Indies captain Jason Holder, take part in a protest against racism - Photo:
Reuters

Everyone on the field, including players and umpires from both teams, protested against racism. Photo: AFP
Both teams have 'Black Lives Meter' written on their collars to speak out against racism - Photo: AFP
Don't shake hands with the captains after the toss
After the toss in the Southampton Test, when West Indies captain Jason Holder extended his hand to shake
hands with England captain Ben Stokes, Ben Stokes jumped up a bit and instead of extending his hand to
shake hands, he put his elbow on Jason. Turned to the holder. 

Under normal circumstances, Ben Stokes' move would have been considered a major flaw, but the world is
currently in a situation where handshakes are being discouraged everywhere. 

The rules and regulations for this Test match included that the captains would not shake hands after the
toss. Maybe Jason Holder forgot that, which led to this interesting situation after the toss.

Tribute to those who fought the Corona virus

Another uniqueness of the current Test series between England and the West Indies is that during this Test
series, England players will play matches by writing the names of these doctors, nurses and teachers on their
shirts used during the training session. Who have played a key role in combating the corona virus. 

The names of the people who were chosen for this purpose were named by their friends and family
members. Among those important was Dr. Vikas Verma, who worked at a Durham County hospital, whose
name was on the shirt of England's Test captain, Ben Stokes.

Similarly, the names of many other people were affixed on the training shirts of all the players in the
England team. The manner in which England paid tribute to the frontline heroes who fought the disease is a
commendable act.

I hope that other cricketing nations will also take such unique steps to pay homage to the heroes of their
countries.

Stinginess in expressing happiness

When West Indies' John Campbell took a run to lead the West Indies to victory in this historic Test match,
their captain at the other end was content to celebrate the victory from afar. 
If the conditions were right, the holders would certainly have embraced Camp Bell Go in a valiant manner,
but in the current situation, the players are also being careful in celebrating the victory. Similar scenes were
seen in the West Indies dressing room where the players and team management were very careful and
keeping the social distance in mind.

Unique match at the end of the match

The ceremony at the end of this match was also different from normal matches. A wide mic was placed in
front of captain and man of the match Shannon Gabriel to maintain social distance, and former England
player Michael Atherton was questioning players from a stand on the field. He was answering their
questions with the help of the mic in front of him.

Test matches with local umpires and match referees

After a long time, cricket fans watched a Test match in which both the umpires and the match referee
belonged to the host team. But to protect the visiting team from any possible bias, the International Cricket
Council (ICC) has given an additional review to both the teams during this Test series. The West Indies
team made the best use of this facility to reverse the 5 decisions given against them.

The return of sports, especially cricket, is a welcome development for the fans. Hopefully, the cricket
matches that started after a long hiatus will now continue uninterrupted.