Saliva Ban Will be Mentally Taxing But Challenge is to Stay Fresh: Shannon Gabriel

Cricket chiefs around the globe are looking for ways to ensure the game can resume without any problems during the on-going coronavirus pandemic, however West Indies’ Shannon Gabriel is hoping to make a fresh start after recovering from an ankle injury.

Gabriel spent six months out recovering from injury after a dismal period post the World Cup in 2019.

On his radar he hopes will be England’s batsmen as Cricket West Indies (CWI) continue their discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over the feasibility of the three-match Test series behind closed doors in a bio-secured environment.

Gabriel told i995 FM radio, “The plan is right now to try to make it to the tour to England – hopefully that comes off. I’m just trying my best to stay positive and I hope everything goes well. It’s always a good feeling to represent West Indies. It’s good to be back out on the park.

“It has been a long journey since November when I did the surgery on my ankle. Everything is going well, it has been a long process in terms of getting back to running and bowling and stuff like that.”

While he continues his rehab slowly, ensuring he builds through processes such that there isn’t any unnecessary pressure, Gabriel believes the ICC’s guidelines on using saliva to shine the ball will be “mentally taxing on the brain,” before adding, “but you have to stay positive and keep your mind fresh.”

For Gabriel this return from injury will need him to do all basics correctly over anything else.

“There has been no high-intensity work, I’m just taking my body back into it easy, taking it one day at a time and not trying to push too hard but it’s still long while before the first Test in England and by that time I’m sure I’ll be fit and ready.”

“I am trying my best to be as fit as possible so I’m really working hard in terms of my fitness and managing my weight, trying not to get too heavy to put too much strain on my ankle. So I know once I put in the hard work everything will be ok in the end. I just want to stay positive.”

The process of rehab though has forced Gabriel to tweak his action and remodel his run-up so as to reduce the pressure he puts on his ankles.

“My run-up has probably just tweaked a bit, in terms of my running technique and stuff like that, but I don’t think there are many changes,” he explains. “Obviously that ankle was getting most of the pressure and obviously I don’t want that type of injury to happen again, so I’m trying my best to stay fit so I can stay on the park [longer].”