Humour most important in getting through COVID-19 thinks James Neesham
“It’s during times like these that you realise the things that really matter in life. It really puts everything into perspective.
S*** I’d kill for a fried chicken burger,” tweeted James Neesham on 8th April 2020.
While most of the world including New Zealand continues be to under lockdown, Neesham is handling the crisis the way he has handled ups and downs of his career so far.
Known for his funny take on subjects, even at his own cost at times, Neesham feels that focussing on funny side of things helps him cope with difficult situations like the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
“I think it’s probably right out there, the most important one. The sport we play and the career I have had, there’s plenty of downs and you’ve got to see the bright, funny side of it otherwise you’ll just go into a dark hole,” Neesham said on ‘Inside my bubble’ podcast.
“I’m certainly used to tough situations and this is another one. All things pass eventually and we should keep smiling and laughing and we’ll all be in a better place and good to go once we come out the other side,” he added.
Neesham was part of the ODI side that was in Australia to play a series last month. However, the series had to be cancelled mid-way after just one ODI - which was played without a crowd - as the coronavirus pandemic started gaining its feet in the country.
“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 said about the experience of playing without a crowd.
He also recalled how quickly things went out of control forcing the series to be cancelled midway.
“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,” Neesham said.
While Neesham continues to look at the funny side of things to handle the lockdown, he is still not completely over the pain of World Cup final loss.
Having scored 13 of New Zealand’s 15 runs in the Super Over, Neesham was left heartbroken as New Zealand lost the game on boundary count to England. It’s been 9 months since that game but Neesham thinks that it will still take some time for him to move on. “I thought it would soften over time but it hasn’t. Maybe it will get better over the next few years,” he said.
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