Season cancellation would be 'a tough one to take' admits Northants skipper Rossington

Adam Rossington admits 'it will be a tough one to take' if he is forced to sit out an entire season of cricket this summer.
Adam RossingtonAdam Rossington
Adam Rossington

The sport has been suspended until July 1 at the earliest due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has decimated the sporting fixture calendar across the globe.

The first-class season has already been decimated, with the first nine rounds of the Specsavers County Championship being scrapped, while the launch of the ECB's controversial new competition, The Hundred, has been postponed until 2021.

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Hopes are high that some county cricket will still be played before the end of September, probably behind closed doors, but there are no guarantees that will be the case.

Northants chairman Gavin Warren has admitted the 'worst-case scenario' of the season being scrapped altogether has to be considered as there is so much uncertainty and guesswork over Covid-19 and how the virus will behave.

Rossington, who was also due to play in The Hundred as part of the London Spirit franchise, is hopeful that he and his Northants team-mates will get to play some cricket in 2020, and admitted that a player losing a year out of his career through no fault of their own is far from an ideal situation.

"It is a tough one to take," said the 27-year-old when asked about the possibility of no cricket this summer.

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"You just hope it might give you an extra year when you come towards the back end of your career.

"From a personal point of view, with The Hundred being called off as well, that is frustrating because I was looking forward to playing in it.

"But it is one of those things, and with what is going on in the world you just have to accept it because there are worse things happening.

"It's a case of just getting on with it the best you can, and being ready for if we do get any cricket at the back end of the season, and if not then for next year."

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If the worst is to happen and the season is cancelled, the Rossington says he would probably look to go abroad in the winter to get some cricket in - if travel restrictions allow for that to happen.

In the winter just gone he spent time in Perth working with respected Australian batting coach Neil 'Noddy'Holder, and it is something he would be keen to repeat.

"Going away is something I would consider, and last winter I went away to Perth for three weeks in January," said Rossington, who was due to skipper the Northants' four-day team this season.

"I popped over there and did some work with batting coach Noddy Holder, and I have been to see him three or four times now.

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"I went over and hit a few balls with him, so I would probably consider doing something similar to that, and having three or four weeks and a mini pre-season to get outside.

"But again, we are going to have to wait and see if there are any travel restrictions in place with everything that is going on."