IPL 2020: Updated BCCI protocols will help Australia, England players take part in week one, says RR COO

Before the update, participation of two countries' players in first week of IPL 2020 was greatly uncertain.

By Kashish Chadha - 22 Aug, 2020

The Chief Operating Officer of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Jake Lush McCrum, said this Friday (August 21) that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has updated its COVID-19 protocols for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE, starting September 19. 

The update will allow players from England and Australia to be able to take part in the first week of the tournament instead of having to go through a seven-day quarantine period on arrival in the Middle East. 

Read Also: BCCI ACU chief says bio-secure bubbles will help tackle fixers during IPL 13 

Question mark was hanging over the presence of Royals' first-choice overseas picks, skipper Steve Smith, all-rounder Ben Stokes, wicketkeeper batsman Jos Buttler and pacer Jofra Archer, as well as other teams' recruits from England and Australia, in the first few matches, as they face just a three-day turnaround from the end of the limited-overs international series in the UK on September 16. 

With that taken care of, all eight franchises can now breathe a sigh of relief. 

"The BCCI protocols have actually been updated in the last few days and I'm pleased to say our English and Australian stars playing in the series pre IPL should be available for our first IPL match. Either way, we have a quality squad with the depth to manage any situation," McCrum told ANI.

"The English and Australian players will be competing against each other in a high-quality series right before the IPL which has many positives, the most important being it will enable them to be at full match fitness. I'm sure they will hit the ground running in the UAE for the IPL," he added.

The BCCI has put in place Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to conduct the sixty-match tournament amid bio-secure arrangements for accommodation, quarantine, training and on-field action across venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. 

The board has also appointed COVID-19 task forces to ensure no irresponsible hiccups by anyone during the league running for 53 days and concluding on November 10. 

By Kashish Chadha - 22 Aug, 2020

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