The West Indies cricket captain Mr Jason Holder has an established reputation for good sense.

Hence, his comments on arrival in England earlier this week for a Test match tour set to take place in unprecedented circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Said he: “ …it’s not going to be the normal bilateral series here in England, but at the end of the day this is where we are with the state of world cricket — state of the world per se … I’ve been watching other sports on TV and it is different and no doubt it will be different, but again, we’ve just got to get on with it and try to make the most of the circumstances in these trying times.”

As most readers will know, the three Test matches are to be played for television audiences in what has been described as “biosecure” environments, without spectators, and with extraordinary measures designed to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, on and off the field.

The three five-day games will be spread over three weeks, following a month’s preparation for the visiting West Indies players, including two weeks of quarantine.

Of course, Mr Holder was speaking against the backdrop that three players — Messrs Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, and Keemo Paul — declined to make the trip because of fear of contracting COVID-19.

Britain, as is well known, has been badly hit by the virus, with tens of thousands having died from it over the last three months. Hence, we are at one with Cricket West Indies that Messrs Bravo, Hetmyer, and Paul should not be penalised, or in any way subject to discrimination for pulling out.

But ultimately, regardless of the obstacles from COVID-19 or anything else, life must go on, professional sport must go on, and professional sportsmen and women, just like those in other fields of endeavour, must practise their trade and make a living.

Crucially too, competitors, coaches and backroom staff, officials, journalists, broadcasters, et al, must be protected.

The protocols to ensure that type of protection will be very much under the microscope in the upcoming series, as cricket looks to the immediate future.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), which is tasked with organising the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia later this year, will be among those watching with interest.

We note word that a final decision on the staging of the T20 World Cup has been pushed back to next month. There are persistent reports of pressure from some quarters for postponement of the T20 men’s World Cup to next year, to accommodate the money-spinning Indian Premier League, which itself was postponed indefinitely because of the pandemic.

Let’s not forget, though, that next year is Olympic year with the 2020 Games in Japan already postponed until then, because of the pandemic.

And that’s a growing headache by itself, with organisers speaking of a “simplified” Olympic Games, aimed at keeping everyone safe and reducing costs.

As the old Jamaican saying goes: “Everywhere yuh tun, macka juk yuh.”

In sport, as in every other aspect of life, there are no easy solutions in these pandemic-hit times.