Home, Sweet Home!

Returning to his West Jummapara abode in Rangpur during any break from his cricketing duties was always special for Akbar Ali as especially-prepared meals from his mother, the addas with childhood friends and serene atmosphere provided a welcome getaway.

Unfortunately, the latest break provided an altogether different experience for the youngster, who led Bangladesh to an international cricketing milestone by clinching the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Although special meals and the serene atmosphere remained, the coronavirus pandemic restricted movement and, most importantly, forced Akbar to put off his favourite addas with his friends.

"Earlier, when I came home during any break, a massive adda with my friends was always on the top of agenda. But this time, I am missing it. Everybody can understand the current situation. We need to maintain social distance for our betterment. We are maintaining our addas through social media because there is no chance to meet," Akbar said while speaking to this reporter over phone.

When asked if he was staying home, Abkar said in a helpless tone: "Yes, it's seems like I have to stay home."

The underlying tone was perhaps because he was not sure when he would be able to return to the field, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) having postponed all activities indefinitely help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Akbar has spent most of his time reading news regarding the devastating effects of coronavirus, but as a professional cricketer he knows that he has to maintain his fitness and so he has been maintaining a practice schedule.

Akbar said that he was very conscious of his eating habits as he wanted to stay in shape.

"I do light exercise at home. I am working with my fitness as much as possible with the available equipment. There is a field near my home and I go there only when no one else is there. But I am missing skills training for batting and keeping," he added.

"Our trainer and physio are providing advice through our WhatsApp group and I am trying to follow them," he informed.

On top of that, Akbar is desperately missing on-field cricket with the Dhaka Premier League underway, especially during a time when the U-19s were garnering a lot of focus following their historic World Cup one-and-a-half months back.

Above everything, the death of many people due to coronavirus all over the world and its spread in Bangladesh saddened the youngster.

"Everyone in our locality is anxious due to the spread of coronavirus in our country. We are always watching news on television channels and reading all the news. Everybody is trying to be conscious. The positive side is that we don't have any returnees from abroad in our area."

Akbar, now a household name in the locality, was trying to use his popularity to raise awareness about precautionary measures against the virus.

"I am speaking about the importance of washing our hands properly and maintaining social distance. I am requesting everyone to follow instructions from WHO and our government so that we can prevent the spread of this virus," he said.

Although this time's visit proved a little bittersweet, Akbar will stay in West Jummapara until further instructions from the government because life is bigger than anything.