Former cricketers Aakash Chopra, Irfan Pathan and Monty Panesar reckon some of the guidelines issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for sport's bio-secure resumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic are impractical and need further review. 

The ICC came up with multiple recommendations for its member nations on how they can safely resume training and on-field play in the near future, including a 14-day pre-match isolation camp to ensure teams are free of the deadly virus. 

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Regular hand sanitising when in contact with the ball, no loo or shower breaks while training, minimising time spent in the changing room before and after a game, no use of saliva on the ball and no handing over of personal items (cap, sunglasses, towels) to fellow teammates or the on-field umpires are among the other guidelines issued. 

"Social distancing is very doable in individual sport but very tough in a team sport like cricket and football. If you need a slip during the game, would you not employ it?" Irfan, who played 29 Tests for India, told PTI.

"If the team is going through a 14-day quarantine and is being tested for COVID-19, I am fine with that process. Now, after that, if we have more guidelines for the players during the game, then you are making things complicated. Then there is no point of a quarantine period."

While safety of players and all else involved shall definitely be on top of the priority list, Irfan thinks, some of the guidelines will only end up making it difficult for individuals to implement them on the field. 

"Safety is paramount but we should not make the game complicated. If a bowler or fielder has to sanitise hands every time he touches the ball, then it would be very difficult."

"You can shorten the process of giving the ball to the bowler. Instead of the usual chain (wicket-keeper to cover fielder to bowler), the keeper can straight away give the ball to the bowler but even then the bowler will have to sanitise hands six times in an over."

Chopra, on his part, felt it was quite premature to fix a certain set of guidelines, especially with no certainty when the play is resumable.

"That (regular hand sanitisation after contact with ball) is obviously impractical but my big question is when the game happens in a bio secure environment and everyone is quarantined and tested, do these additional measures make a difference?" asked the former India Test opener-turned-commentator. 

"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."

England is hoping to have West Indies arrive for the scheduled Test series in July and conduct the three fixtures behind closed doors after proper testing of players and adhering to quarantine rules. Panesar thinks those games, if they go ahead, will help the rest of the cricket world on how they can also safeguard some of their fixtures. 

"The 14-day quarantine is very much needed and well done to the ICC for including that. I think we will see resumption of international cricket with England hosting West Indies in July," said the optimistic former left-arm spinner. "We might have some practical ideas then, the other countries would also be watching keenly and will learn how to go about it."

"But measures like regular hand sanitising is not going to be practical. Maybe you could sanitise every one hour but it can't be regular during the game," Panesar added. 

First look at the guideline that says no loo or shower breaks during training certainly raises eyebrows. But Chopra explained why that isn't a too restrictive a measure. 

"Training is still controllable. You don't have to be there for a long time but you would still have to use the restroom at some stage. You may avoid taking a shower but you will have to use the restroom."

"I think the idea of these guidelines is to make cricketers more aware that you have to take care of yourself and inculcate habits which are in everyone's interest in the current scenario," he said. 

(Inputs from PTI)