RICH Pyrah says four of Yorkshire’s bowlers were at least able to salvage something positive from the club’s curtailed pre-season tour of India.

The vast majority of the White Rose were in Mumbai for less than 72 hours last week before they were forced to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, at least bowling coach Pyrah, physio Kunwar Bansil and seam quartet Ben Coad, Matthew Fisher, Duanne Olivier and Matthew Waite were able to get a full week’s training into their legs ahead of the forthcoming county campaign.

The main squad were due to be in Mumbai for the best part of a fortnight. Instead, they landed last Thursday and flew home on the Saturday, leading Pyrah to describe one of the “weirdest tours I’ve experienced”.

“We had one net session with the full squad - a full day,” said the former title-winning all-rounder.

“The lads who had got out there early bowled two spells and those who had just come out bowled at 50 or 60 percent for four overs.

“The batters got a good bat because we had 10 Indian net bowlers with us. It was a good session.

“In India, there wasn’t as much chat around coronavirus as there was in England. So when we left the country as a bowling group (on March 6), it died down a bit.

“The four lads we had just got on with it and really enjoyed it.

“It all kind of kicked in when the main squad arrived and things had worsened at home. I don’t think there were any cases in Mumbai while we were there.

“Obviously we knew there were issues brewing back home and other tours had got cancelled.

“As soon as England’s tour in Sri Lanka was cancelled, which isn’t far from Mumbai, we knew it would be difficult to stay there.

“Martyn Moxon just took the decision - the right one - to get us home. We didn’t want anyone there in isolation or being unable to get back into the country.

“Had we stayed, a lot of lads would have been thinking of their families.”