'Sport is farthest from your mind at this point'

'You see life from a completely different perspective in these times of crisis.'

Sport is now the last thing on Harbhajan Singh's mind and as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, the cricketer is spending time tracking updates on the unprecedented crisis and hoping that this too shall pass.

Like all others, the veteran spinner is with his family (wife Geeta and daughter Hinaya) in Mumbai, hoping that scientists and doctors would make a breakthrough to tackle pandemic that has claimed more than 20,000 lives.

"You see life from a completely different perspective in these times of crisis. Sport is farthest from your mind at this point in time. Now that I am home, I am spending most of my time reading anything and everything about COVID-19," Harbhajan said on Wednesday.

So what exactly does he read? "I try to read every authentic piece of information available. All updates provided by the government about the current situation. And yes, most importantly, I try to read and find out what kind of breakthrough scientists, biologists and doctors are making.

"You need to keep your spirits up and be self motivated in these trying times. Any positive information lifts your spirits," the 39-year-old said.

Harbhajan was in Chennai at the Chennai Super Kings' pre-season camp when the Indian Premier League was postponed due to the virus outbreak. While this is a forced break from his busy schedule, which also includes commentary, he is getting to spend some precious time with his wife and daughter.

"Me and my wife do yoga together in the morning. We are now taking time out to play scrabble and darts in the evening. At times, we watch a movie together," he said.

The best part is spending time with his three-year-old daughter, playing with her.

"The break has given me an opportunity to spend quality time with Hinaya. It's really joyful when I get to play with her. It lifts my spirit. Right now all I want is everybody to be safe," he added.