The Sunday Mail
Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE cricket seamer Kyle Jarvis has been missing in action for the better part of a year, with his last international coming during the Sri Lanka tour last year.
In that time, a pandemic hit, the sport was put on hold and the 31-year-old missed Zimbabwe’s tour to Pakistan.
While the consensus was that Jarvis was recovering from a back injury, the truth of his hiatus appears to be a lot more serious.
“For those that have sent messages, thank you. Below is a quick thread as to where I have been and why I have been so quiet of late,” read a tweet from the athlete.
He opened up on his recent battle with Covid-19, malaria and tick bite fever, which all hit him at one go.
But he has survived to describe it as a terrifying experience.
“I had recovered from a lower back injury at the beginning of the year, and although I was physically fit enough to play, I didn’t feel 100 percent ready to compete,” Jarvis said on missing last November’s tour to Pakistan.
“After a chat with Zimbabwe Cricket’s director of cricket, Hamilton Masakadza, we made the decision for me to sit out the tour.
“My lower back injury had fully healed,” he said.
While it was tough for him to watch his teammates travel and play in Pakistan, it paled in comparison to what lay ahead.
“Yes, it was tough not being able to be there (Pakistan), especially when you know you will add value to the team. However, I knew I was not ready for the rigours of international cricket yet,” he said.
His hiatus took a turn for the tragic late last month when he fell ill.
“It was truly a terrifying experience, and I feel grateful to have made it out with minimal damage.
“I had no pre-existing conditions, always wore my mask and sanitised, and looking back there is no way of knowing how I contracted the virus,” he said.
Jarvis also caught a bout of malaria and a tick bite fever.
“It was around January 26 when I first started showing mild Covid-19 symptoms, which progressively got worse as the days went by.”
It was only when he was taken to the hospital that the reality of the situation hit him, and malaria and tick bite fever were also diagnosed.
“My first thought was obviously of fear when I was admitted . . . with the worst moment being when I first arrived.
“There was a lot of concern as my heart rate was sitting at over 210 beats per minute (BPM).
“A chest X-ray confirmed the Covid-19, and it was discovered that I had caught malaria and had tick bite fever.
“The doctors decided to treat all three, and spent four to five days in and out of the centre getting treatment.
“Although it was tough, I knew I was improving every day,” he said.
While he did not entirely come out of the ordeal unscathed, Jarvis considers himself truly blessed.
“I was put on an array of drugs for all three infections; the list is long.”
He has already begun his journey to recovery, with the seamer likely to be on the sidelines for three to six months.
“I am feeling better every day, slowly returning to normal.
“Unfortunately a small amount of damage was done, but over the next three months, at least I will be starting over again with very low-intensity training.
“I will do everything I can to get back to full fitness.
“After a very challenging 12 months, I am optimistic I will be back to my best soon.”
