Amid the ongoing deadly coronavirus outbreak, cricket and several other sporting activities across the world have been temporarily suspended for an indefinite period. It was only last week that the International Cricket Council (ICC) recommended a host of “back to cricket” guidelines including 14-day pre-match isolation training camps in order to make sure that teams are free from the coronavirus epidemic.
The global cricket body has issued training and playing guidelines which will completely change the way the game is played. Among the crucial guidelines are regular hand sanitising when it comes to contact with the ball, no loo or shower breaks during the training session, reducing time spent in the changing room before and after a game, strictly no use of saliva on the ball and no handing over of personal items like caps, sunglasses, towels to fellow teammates or even the on-field umpires.
ICC guidelines on the resumption of cricket are impractical: Aakash Chopra
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra reckons that some of the ICC guidelines on the resumption of cricket are impractical and will need a review when the cricketing world is closer to action. Former India opener added that it is still pre-mature to prepare a fixed set of guidelines for the resumption of cricket as the situation is changing day by day.
“That (regular hand sanitisation after contact with the ball) is obviously impractical but my big question is when the game happens in a biosecure environment and everyone is quarantined and tested, do these additional measures make a difference?”
Resumption of cricket will take some time: Aakash Chopra
“On the field, I can still understand but what happens when you go back into the dressing room? How do you practice social distancing there? So it becomes quite complicated. To be honest it is all very premature. Once they get closer to resumption, which will take some time, there will be more clarity,” Aakash Chopra was quoted as saying by PTI.
In this coronavirus lockdown, Bundesliga football league has already started in Germany and all the matches are being played behind closed doors. By the time cricket kicks in, several sporting competitions would have restarted, and Aakash Chopra reckons that will help cricket plan the way forward in the post-COVID-19 period.