In this first article in a new series where ESPNCricinfo talk to cricketers about how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected their lives, Dale Steyn speaks about coming back home to South Africa from the PSL to find only one topic of conversation everywhere.
How crazy is this?
I don't know how to describe it. Doesn't matter where you go, everyone is talking about it - whether it is on an airplane or you are just popping into a grocery store.
It just seems like it is the only topic of conversation. Any WhatsApp groups that I'm part of, it's really tough to escape.
Yeah, it's so strange. Normally if I am on holiday I'll be planning a fishing trip or a surfing trip. At the moment I am just chilling at home.
Does sport matter in these times?
It does. It is actually such a pity that everything is being blocked off, because in a country like South Africa, where we have all of our problems from the past - culture, religion, ethnic backgrounds - the one thing that brings everybody together is sport.
It doesn't matter what religion you are or what colour your skin is, you can go to a game on a Saturday and you can all be supporting the same cricket team or rugby team and you all get along really well. But now at the moment, you don't have that.
Can you describe your last week?
It happened really quickly. I was in Pakistan but it was raining [Steyn played for Islamabad United]. We were under that kind of hotel arrest - advised not to go out and wander the streets, which is totally fine; I don't want to break protocol and [have] something happen and be blamed for cricket never being played in Pakistan again because I did something stupid!
As the week went on, everything just seemed to escalate. In the space of 24-48 hours, we went from nobody talking about coronavirus to, suddenly, everyone had a hand sanitiser and it was the biggest thing.
Then the overseas players were starting to chat about potentially getting home because their countries were not allowing them back in. And before we even knew it, there were nine players from another team that had decided that they were going.
How has your cricket training being affected?
Well, you know, luckily for me, I tend to not do a lot of cricket practice. I'm at a point where I feel like if I wanted a bowl a bouncer or a length ball or a yorker, I can do it. Muscle memory is enough for me to be able to do that. So I just rock up on the day of a game and do my warm-ups and go through my basic routine and then just try and kick my mind into play.
