The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for a safe place in the country to set up an ‘isolation camp’ for senior cricketers to resume practice after more than two months of the nation being under lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic.
As per reports of Times of India, the board is looking for a place outside the defined containment zones, to kick start resumption of the outdoor practice of players along with coaches and management.
The National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru is well equipped for the resumption of training, however, the city is not completely free from COVID-19 cases and is still under lockdown. The plan is to basically have the players, coaching, and other staff is placed in a quarantined and sanitized atmosphere.
BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal says players may start training post-May 18, if government permits
“The safety of the players is the board’s priority. We will have to work on the logistics and see if Bengaluru is safe enough. If things don’t look absolutely fine, then we will look for areas in the country which fall outside the containment zones. The camp will be sanitized. And there is also an option of opening up local stadiums to senior players,” a BCCI official told TOI.
“The players, team management, and the cricket operations team are constantly in touch to deal with every issue,” the official added.
The report also revealed that members involved in the camp must pass all the mandatory medical checkups and venturing out of the camp premises won’t be permitted.
“There are a lot of logistical issues. BCCI needs government directions and will adhere to it. The flights' schedule and freedom of movement will have to be taken into account. The medical team is also in the loop,” the official said.
Under the current situation, the upcoming India tour to Sri Lanka looks unlikely as the Indian team players would need atleast a month’s time of practice to get back into shape to play international cricket.
The management’s focus currently is clearly on the upcoming ICC World T20s, which is scheduled to be held in October this year.
(Times of India inputs)
