The recent spike in coronavirus cases in Abu Dhabi is the reason behind the delay in the announcement of Indian Premier League (IPL ) 2020’s official schedule, Cricket Age exclusively learns. The rise in COVID-19 cases has put a question mark on the availability of Abu Dhabi – which was one of the three venues along with Dubai and Sharjah to host matches behind closed doors in IPL 2020.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to release the official schedule of the IPL, despite less than a month left for the start of the tournament. IPL 2020 will be staged entirely in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year and the upcoming season is scheduled to get underway from September 19.
Teams not staying Abu Dhabi will now have to ensure all their players, support staff and broadcast crew are tested before entering Abu Dhabi as the regional authorities have made rapid test mandatory at the entry point. This would see teams not staying in Abu Dhabi incur an additional cost. BCCI is currently in talks with the Emirates Cricket Board to find out a solution and see if the number of matches in Abu Dhabi can be restricted.
Out of the eight IPL teams who are in UAE, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians are the two teams staying in Abu Dhabi while the rest of the six teams are based in Dubai.
“It could be a case of two teams playing home and away games back to back, similar to 2011. As of now, Abu Dhabi could host a few matches only in the first half,” an IPL insider told Cricket Age.
The players and support staff of all eight teams are in quarantine in their respective hotels and will be undergoing rounds of COVID-19 tests before they can take part in the pre-season training camp to gear up for the new season of the cash-rich league. BCCI is expected to finalise the schedule by the end of this week.
Cricket Age had exclusively published Yersterday also, stating that everal factors have contributed to the delay in announcing fixtures and it may not be confirmed at least another week.
The entire season of IPL is being held outside India due to the coronavirus situation in the country. The 53-day tournament will be held across three venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. However, as of now, travelling is not allowed between Dubai and Abu Dhabi as part of measures to control the spread of the coronavirus. Additionally, their are different quarantine rules in the two cities. What’s keeping BCCI worried is the rising number of coronavirus cases in these cities as well. Reportedly, IPL officials are working with the local governments to sort the issues.
Question Mark Over Australian And England Cricketers
There’s no consensus over whether Australian and English cricketers be asked to serve mandatory quarantine period or not. One section believes that since the two teams will already be in a bio-secure environment as part of their bilateral series to be played next month, there’s no need for them to be isolated. Teams including the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders hope the BCCI will make them available from Day 1 after they arrive. However, another section doesn’t want to compromise with the rules for anyone.
Desert Heat
There are also deliberations over the severe heat players will have to endure during day matches considering UAE will be hot in August-September. Will the day matches be scrapped? Or the timings will be changed?
