New Delhi, March 31: Former India cricketer Joginder Sharma was recently lauded by the ICC and fellow countrymen for his working tirelessly as the first line of defence in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The cricketer-turned-cop in the Haryana Police, who became the household name after bowling the final over in the World T20 final in 2007 against Pakistan, is currently involved in dealing with the health crisis.
In a report published in Wisden, the former cricketer said fighting against coronavirus is much bigger than winning the world cup final, for the latter involves saving countless lives.
Joginder said, "Obviously, this contribution is much bigger because people are losing their lives. It was also a big thing, winning the World Cup for India, but here we have to save the nation. And even if I am playing a small part in this, then it is huge."
The cricketer who is serving as DSP in Hisar further gave an example of his own sport, where team spirit is essential in combating critical situations and the current scenario is no different.
It’s time to execute restless duties for the nation,not only us but I request you all to be equivalent to us in maintaining social distance and be at your home, It’s time for all to prove ourself a real Patriot.And real patriotism is now in fighting simultaneously with COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/iuJe46ecg1
— Joginder Sharma (@jogisharma83) March 29, 2020
Joginder further said, "It was the nature of my sport, which is a team game and players work together to make things happen. So now we have to help each other, and the biggest help will be to stay inside our homes. This is the only way to fight coronavirus. Feed the hungry, help the poor. Say no to social gatherings, go out just for getting essentials, but maintain social distance."
People know me and recognise me, and that helps to put my point across. But now I am a police officer and this is my duty," he added further.
The cricketer also took to his Twitter handle and shared a video in which he could be seen sensitising fellow policemen about the importance of sanitisation.
Wash your hands regularly or use sanitizer to protect your hands from COVID-19 👍and follow two simple rules-: Stay at home & Stay fit = be alive @NahidRehman23 @AmarUjalaNews @sachin_rt @htTweets @aajtak @SGanguly99 @indiatvnews @timesofindia @harbhajan_singh @ICC @BCCI pic.twitter.com/9cxB2CarME
— Joginder Sharma (@jogisharma83) March 30, 2020
"It's time to execute restless duties for the nation, not only us but I request you all to be equivalent to us in maintaining social distance and be at your home, It's time for all to prove ourselves a real Patriot. And real patriotism is now in fighting simultaneously with COVID-19," he tweeted.