CRICKET Coach Andre Coley is urging colleagues and players to be particularly disciplined, given that the gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures has opened the door for scaled-down training sessions.

“I think the biggest challenge for us will be…just being aware of the whole social distancing and how we interact. Discipline and mindfulness will have to become a part of us,” said Coley, who in recent days has been overseeing one-on-one training sessions with Jamaican players at Sabina Park.

“Even as coach [I] will have to be able to adapt how we conduct our sessions, how we protect the players, [and] how we protect ourselves,” the Jamaica Scorpions head coach said, while stressing the importance of hygienic practices and of coaches wearing masks and gloves.

Up to Saturday, Jamaica had recorded 596 confirmed cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus disease while 10 people have died. Globally, the count is over 6.5 million cases and close to 400,000 deaths.

Currently, it is the off season for regional cricket, and the Caribbean’s governing body has provided guidance for how territories should forge ahead with their respective preseason preparations.

“CWI [Cricket West Indies] has sent through…documents which outline how we are supposed to operate, which we will be sharing with the players. And we will be guided by [Jamaica Cricket Association] operations when [group] training will resume.

“I know for sure that the restart is going to be scaled-down numbers. Seeing that it’s post-season it was always going to be small groups doing one-on-one stuff, working on different things coming out of the [previous] season,” Coley told the Jamaica Observer.

“I believe it will be a challenge adjusting…the challenge will be to be mindful that you need to keep that distance. So, to be able to do that we have to manage that environment and make sure the numbers are even smaller still until we become more comfortable with the new way of operating,” the former Jamaica wicketkeeper reiterated.

Since Jamaica confirmed its first handful of virus cases in March, the Government outlined wide-ranging restrictions — including a stop on all competitive sports — to try to contain the outbreak.

The local cricket association has been forced to postpone or cancel tournaments and preparation activities.

Dr Akshai Mansingh, a member of CWI’s medical advisory panel, emphasised the obligation to protect players, staff, officials, and spectators – even while moving toward a step-by-step return to competitive action.

“Whenever the stop orders are lifted, so to speak, for sport it’s obviously going to be in a phased manner. We’ve seen precedence set around the world where it starts with the training facilities being opened, but with social distancing and limited number of people on the park or on the track,” the sports medicine physician and consulting orthopaedic surgeon told the Observer.

“If there are only 10 people [allowed] in a gathering then clearly they have to split teams up into groups. But if they [governments and health authorities] allow larger groups then we can envisage teams training, but there would have to be very strict protocols,” said Mansingh, the dean of the Faculty of Sport at The University of the West Indies, Mona.