‘It was bizarre, could hear security guards talking on walkie-talkie’ - James Neesham on playing Sydney ODI behind closed doors

James Neesham, the New Zealand all-rounder, last played against Australia in an ODI at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground back on March 13, 2020. The game in Sydney was played behind closed doors as a precautionary measure to the massive coronavirus outbreak. The tour was then shelved and the cricketers were then asked to go back home on an immediate basis.

The 29-year-old narrated an incident during the game where he could hear the security guards talking on walkie-talkies. In that game, Neesham scored eight runs and couldn’t pick up a wicket, giving away 44 runs. Neesham was amazed by how the situation deteriorated since the match.

It was pretty quick: James Neesham

“It was bizarre, totally different. At one point I was at long on and I could hear one security guard talking on his walkie talkie and I could also hear the voice of the other security guard on the other side of the ground. It was very strange,” Neesham was quoted as saying on ‘Inside my bubble’ podcast.

“We were in Sydney for the ODI series and we joked about what was going on at the airport but the amount that it escalated to in the six-seven days was unbelievable. We played on Friday and on Saturday we were called for a meeting at two and by three we were on the bus to the airport. It was pretty quick and we were lucky to have reached home,” he added.

The COVID-19 started in the Chinese city of Wuhan after which the ungodly virus started unfolding mayhem around the world. It has infected over 20 lakhs people with one lakh people losing their lives. Most part of the world are in a lockdown at the present point in time.

In his career, which has had plenty of ups and downs, Neesham wishes to see the funny and brighter side of things. The Black Caps cricketer said that he’s used to tough situations and is hopeful for things to get better in the future.

Neesham also spoke about the 2019 World Cup final where he scored 13 out of the 15 runs in the Super Over against England. The Kiwis lost the game, having hit less boundaries than their opponent. “I thought it would soften over time but it hasn’t. Maybe it will get better over the next few years,” he stated.