Coronavirus Scare Causes Postponement Of Ireland Tour:
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has claimed one more cricketing event. After a slew of tournaments fell victim to the virus, another one has been postponed due to it.
Ireland’s tour of Zimbabwe has been pushed further.
The Ireland team was scheduled to tour Zimbabwe at the beginning of the next month from 2nd April for 3 Tests, and 3 ODIs. But now it will be rescheduled.
The decision about the matter was taken after thorough discussions between the two boards.
Players’, Staff, And Fans Safety More Important:
Givemore Makoni, Acting Managing Director of Zimbabwe Cricket, told that the decision was purely a precautionary step considering the severity of the issue.
Makoni stated, “We were looking forward to hosting Ireland in Bulawayo next month, but with the world in the throes of a public health emergency on a scale not witnessed in over a century, postponing the tour was the only reasonable decision.”
He also added, “Indeed, the mutually agreed decision to postpone the series is the right thing to do, given the worsening Coronavirus pandemic and the overwhelming priority to safeguard the players, fans and the entire cricket community. We are looking to reschedule the tour once the pandemic has been brought under control.”
There are no reported cases of corona in Zimbabwe, and there are no restrictions on Irish nationals traveling to the African nation. However, both the boards have felt that taking precautionary steps would be the best thing to do.
Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, also agreed on Makoni’s statement. He commented, “This is the only reasonable decision in the circumstances, as we all play our part in containing the spread of COVID-19,” Deutrom stated.
He also stated, “We have taken the advice of Irish and British governments, as well as relevant health and sports bodies, and will take a safety-first approach to our operations over the coming weeks and months.”
“Apart from the players and coaches, it is the families and social circles that we are conscious of, and to tour at this point would cause unnecessary risk to the wider community. We pass on our thanks to Givemore and all of Zimbabwe Cricket for so readily agreeing with this position, and we shall work with Zimbabwe Cricket to seek a new date for the tour when we are all in a position to plan for the future with greater certainty,” he added.
