With no job and no cricket left to play, Danza Hyatt finds himself stranded on foreign soil while his pregnant partner and two sons fend for themselves amid a country in lockdown.
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When the Jamaican cricket import kissed his family goodbye in October to join Darley for the 2019-20 Ballarat Cricket Association season, it was only supposed to be for six months.
Almost seven months later he is no closer to getting home.
Imposed border restrictions have thwarted Hyatt's attempts to leave the country, with two of his flights cancelled following the COVID-19 outbreak.
"The roughest part of this is not knowing when you can leave," Hyatt said.
Time away from his family is nothing new for Hyatt, who has played nine international one-day games for the West Indies.
But even with a busy cricket schedule, he has never spent more than six months away from home.
"This is not new to my partner and my boys, it's something I've been doing for a lifetime and they understand," he said.
"But my mum is by herself because my dad passed away two years ago. I speak to her everyday, she's doing alright but she'd love for me to be there."
Hyatt isn't alone.
He is one of a handful of BCA imports currently stranded in Australia, away from family and loved ones.
East Ballarat import Lewis Hodgins also had his flight cancelled after being scheduled to fly home to England on April 11.
Hailing from just north of London, he has watched friends succumb to the virus, which has claimed more than 15,000 lives across the UK.
"A couple of family friends I know who are older have got the virus and passed away from it," he said.
"It's obviously not very good over there, so my family was pushing for me to stay here a bit longer."
Luckily for the Englishman, he has a stable home with a family within the club and has been able to secure regular work with a teammate.
"I don't know when I'll be able to go home but I won't be rushing back any time soon," he said.
"I'll only travel back once it's safe because there is no point in me trying to go and being stuck halfway and being isolated on my own."
Others aren't as lucky.
Brown Hill bowler Viraj Pushpakumara was set to fly out this week, but still remains in Ballarat.
Club co-captain Matt Sandford said the club was doing its best to support the import for the time being.
"The club is trying to find him some work and make him as comfortable as they can while he is here," Sandford said.
Meanwhile Golden Point import Manjula De Zoysa has relocated to Melbourne to stay with relatives until he can book a flight back to Sri Lanka.
De Zoysa caught up with his family while they were on holiday in Australia recently, but he remained while his family left on one of the last flights out.
Club captain Josh White said the club had been in constant contact with the import to make sure he was well looked after.
"We've extended his Visa for him and anything we can do to help we are doing," he said.
"The uncertainty is the hardest part, but we are probably lucky he is used to being away for long periods of time because he plays cricket for a living."
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