The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has clarified that the safety will be the priority before organising the games.
COVID-19 or coronavirus has affected globally. Like the other regular lives, sports have also failed to handle this barrier. In this challenging situation, the cricket world has taken their step backwards as most of the events have been postponed at the current moment.
While globally the coronavirus has affected massively, it is growing up in India too. After the World Health Organisation (WHO) has opened up its concern on it by characterising it as a pandemic, the affected countries have taken the situation more seriously.
The Indian government has recently cancelled many visas till 15th April while the Sports Ministry has also advised organising the unavoidable events in empty stadiums.
IPL 2020 has been scheduled initially from 29th March to 24th May 2020. But observing the latest situation, the BCCI has decided to postpone the IPL 2020 till the mid-April.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has also postponed the home ODI series against South Africa. Out of this three-match ODI series, while the opening game was abandoned due to the rain washout at Dharamsala on last Thursday (12th March), the last two ODIs of this series have been postponed.
Let’s stick to the postponement at the moment: Sourav Ganguly
BCCI has taken both these crucial decisions on Friday (13th March). Sourav Ganguly has clarified its present focus.
He claimed, “Let’s stick to the postponement (at the moment). First priority is safety, so we postponed the games.”
Talking about the IPL 2020, the franchises have reportedly agreed to go behind the close door but with the availabilities of the foreign cricketers.
While the BCCI has postponed the IPL 2020 till mid-April, it is expected that they have especially focused on the availabilities of the foreign cricketers.
IPL 2020 was initially scheduled with lesser double-headers. When Ganguly was asked whether the postponement would put a crucial effect on the planning for the double-headers in IPL 2020, he claimed that it was too early to comment.
Ganguly added, “We will see what happens. It is too early to answer.”