Australia wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey says playing the upcoming T20 World Cup before empty stands would be strange and it would be ideal if the tourney is delayed to allow fans into stadiums.
T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia between October 18 to November 15 is under threat due to travel restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That would probably be the ideal situation if you can put a date on it, but it’s probably hard right now to say if we postpone the World Cup then three months later it would be fine to open the gates. I trust the guys well above my head to make the right decisions,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
“I’d say it would be a strange feeling (without a crowd), no doubt. Playing over in England in the one-day World Cup, having the crowds of all different countries going crazy when they do well is something you can’t really explain.
“As a cricket player and a lover of the game, I’d do anything I could to represent my country at a WC.”
The 28-year-old Carey said cricketers thrive on the energy of their fans and they would be jobless without them but if a spectator-less event is in store, he will still definitely go out to play for his country.
“Out in the middle it’s that atmosphere you love and thrive on. Saying that, the landscape of the world has changed rapidly over the last three months and if it has to be that way I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it go ahead.
“You want your fans there, they play a very big part in our sport and without the fans we wouldn’t have a job. But I love playing cricket and if there’s no one there I’ll definitely go out and play.”