Australia's all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner has revealed that she has taken to painting to stave off boredom during the self-isolation period.
Last month, Gardner was a part of the World T20 Cup winning squad as Australia defeated India in the final match of the tournament.
"I said to my mum that going into lockdown, I am going to need a hobby to do because I know how bored I get easily and I thought why not painting. Having an aboriginal background, I have a connection with that and people have said while I am not a natural artist it is in my blood. It's pretty cool that people even like my work to be honest," ESPNCricinfo quoted Gardner as saying.
"When I first started doing it, I didn't think anything was going to come out of it. I just did a little piece and put it on social media and it got a little bit of traction which was quite funny because I'm nowhere near being an artist. I did a piece for Moises Henriques and when I posted that I had a lot of people asking for pieces and it blew me away. People are actually wanting my work," she added.
For the past few weeks, Gardner has created pieces for her friends, including Mel Jones, Moises Henriques and Nicole Bolton.
She revealed that the latest hobby she has developed enabled her to not feel uncertainty in life.
"It's almost like a therapeutic thing. It's so different from my normal life which is why I think I have enjoyed it. For so long, I have had a schedule and been told what to do day-to-day and this is something I can do off my own back. It's quite relaxing, you need to concentrate to make sure you don't ruin it but I put some music on and get painting," Gardner said.
Gardner was last seen in action during the Women's T20 World Cup. In the competition, she managed to score 80 runs.
( With inputs from ANI )
