International sportspeople don’t need any added pressure. Their chosen role in life brings enough complication without the extra worry of catching a virus that can cost them dearly.
Covid has changed a lot for everyone, but athletes can’t work at home in isolation. Testing positive changes means no matches, no international exposure, no interaction with friends at training. Don’t forget the additional time after quarantine it takes to recover the required level of fitness.
Shauna Kavanagh has first-hand experience of all this. Back in August, two days before Ireland were due to fly to Spain for their T20 World Cup qualifier, she felt a bit under the weather.
Two positive tests - one antigen and one PCR - later, she was on the phone to head coach Ed Joyce telling him the bad news.
It’s just part and parcel of being a modern athlete, the concern that one’s sporting career can be adversely affected so suddenly by a new virus.
Now back in the Ireland squad, Kavanagh is in Zimbabwe preparing for another World Cup qualifying tournament; the side’s first competitive game is against the West Indies next Tuesday. It is the second time Ireland have toured the country of late having won a bilateral series against Zimbabwe last month.
After experiencing Covid before, both its strong effects and the disappointment it brings, Kavanagh was wary of doing so again before flying out: “Absolutely in the lead up to tours I’ve been more cautious and much more wary of potentially testing positive. In the lead up to these last two Zim tours I was desperate to go having experienced that last minute disappointment.
“It (Covid) did actually hit me quite hard, I was quite sick for about a week. I had to do my isolation and at the start did struggle a bit, even to go back running. But with any illness, it takes a while to get back into the swing of things
“I’d say from the day I tested positive it probably took three weeks to be able to run and not struggle. I’m lucky, I don’t have any long Covid symptoms or anything like that, I feel brand new now but it did knock me when I had it and it was tough to come back initially.”
Kavanagh’s return to the squad for both Zimbabwe trips adds some welcome experience to a very young group. Out of the current squad of 15, eight are under the age of 23 while five players only made their ODI debut last month. Kavanagh has 70 caps (ODI and T20) to her name.
Head coach Ed Joyce, himself a former Ireland and England international, is a valuable source of guidance. The clarity he gives to players on the nature of their roles is something which allows Kavanagh and the other senior players to have a firm grip on what the side is doing as they go hunting for a top three qualifier finish to make the World Cup (top five sees them qualify for the ICC Women’s Championship).
“We’re very lucky that we have Ed” says Kavanagh. “He was such a good player and he’s been brilliant with all of us helping out nailing our plans and knowing what our roles are in that 50 over team. I’m a planner, I like to know what’s going on around me and I like structure.
“We’re all clear on what we want to do. It settles a team when you know what you’re doing and what everyone else is doing as well.”
Amy Hunter is the youngest in the squad at the age of 16, but she is not the only student in the group. Kavanagh insists though that there is only the odd occasion when the generation gap reveals itself.
“The amount of people here that are doing school work or studying… I finished my leaving cert in 2010! At times like that you definitely notice how old you are. But I can sit down with someone like Amy, and even though she’s only 16 I can have a great conversation with her.
“In cricket though you don’t notice age as much since fortunately you’re with people of all ages for longer periods of time. The age thing plays a part in some elements but there’s no cliques or anything like that.
“Everyone just wants everyone to succeed.”
