Australian cricketer Steve Smith was barely recognisable as he touched down in the United Arab Emirates for his stint playing the Indian Premier League.
Dressed top to toe in a hazmat suit and mask, the image of Smith and his Rajasthan Royals teammates Andrew Tye, and Englishmen Jofra Archer and Tom Curran, highlighted the unique obstacles they have had to overcome playing international cricket during the coronavirus pandemic.
The suit was necessary as part of biosecurity and quarantine requirements in the UAE - where there have been over 80,000 COVID-19 cases - but it was a small price to pay for Smith to claim his $2.4 million payday.
"A different way to arrive at this year's IPL, but excited to be here," Smith tweeted with a picture of himself in the hazmat suit.
https://twitter.com/stevesmith49/status/1306969771678683136https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1306655044318629889As the name suggests the Indian Premier League was meant to be held in the sub-continent, however due to the pandemic taking hold of India, it has been relocated to the UAE.
Smith was travelling from England having missed every match of Australia's one-day international series there due to a knock to the head that left him "groggy" in the aftermath.
A total of 12 other Aussies in that series flew on a chartered flight to the UAE for the IPL.
David Warner and Pat Cummins shared a similar image of the pair wearing hazmat suits on the plane over to the UAE.
"New way of travel," Warner said on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFRnNGQpcU2/Cricket Australia medical staff continue to monitor Smith's health and will work with the Rajasthan Royals before his return to play.
As captain of the Royals, Smith will be eager to get back out on the pitch. But though he passed subsequent concussion tests, CA want to proceed cautiously due to his previous incidents of head injuries.
https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1306913011127345160from WWOS https://ift.tt/2H9d59n
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