How Coronavirus Pandemic Affected Cricket In India:
The coronavirus pandemic has absolutely stopped sporting tournaments and leagues across the globe even though many sporting personalities are gradually responding to hosting events in closed stadiums, despite social distance still the most significant safety standard and no coronavirus vaccine on the market, it could be the only option for organizers and organizations. In reality, Australia and New Zealand were playing an ODI in a closed SCG before the lockdown, while the fifth day of the Ranji Trophy final was not open to the public as well.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, however, reckons that there will be no cricketing action in near future in India due to many constraints involved in the staging process.
“Germany and India’s social reality is different, in the near future there’ll be no cricket in India,” Ganguly told a leading Sports website. “There are so many ifs and buts involved. More specifically, when there is a risk to human life, I don’t believe in sport.”
In the meantime, Cricket Australia is exploring the option to host the World T20 at closed doors, even though the ICC must determine the contingency plan of the tournament on Thursday. “We may not generate financial returns as large as the international cricket season, but the bigger returns from the broadcast rights around the event generated by the ICC are very valuable to all our counterparts around the cricket world,” said CA chief executive Kevin Roberts on Tuesday.
The former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar proposed that Australia and India could swap World T20 hosting rights because the two nations are scheduled to stage the tournament respectively, in 2020 and 2021, given that the curve flattens in India. “Australia has banned foreigners from entering the country until September 30 as we all know. The tournament begins in mid-October, so it looks difficult at the moment,” Gavaskar told a leading media house.
“The T20 World Cup is scheduled in India next year. If India and Australia come to an agreement and the COVID-19 curve in India flatten out, they can swap. It can be held in India this October-November and in Australia next year.”
