The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) remains hopeful of having at least some crowd presence during matches of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE, starting September 19.
Finalising preparations to conduct the sixty-match IPL 2020 across venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, the ECB doesn't want the tournament to be a completely behind closed doors affair amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"As hosts, Emirates Cricket Board will work closely with the authorities to seek approval on what protocols need to be followed, this includes fan attendance," ECB general secretary Mubashshir Usmani told Reuters.
"We will then discuss with the BCCI (Indian board) to assess their spectator requirements," he added. "We want our Asian Diaspora, as well as the other ex-pat and Emirati sports-loving fans to be able to watch the action from the stands."
This won't be the first time ECB will host the IPL, having seen the one-third of the tournament conducted in 2014 at UAE's marquee venues after the BCCI was forced to shift outside India due to Lok Sabha elections here.
And even though the challenge will be stiffer this time, considering the pandemic, Usmani is confident that the cricket board will manage all things successfully.
"Having hosted the 2014 IPL our team is well aware of the requirements to deliver on a successful event."
"We have a very capable team who has an exceptionally strong cricket-administration pedigree... We are very confident in delivering a successful tournament," he concluded.
