The BCCI’s SOP for the upcoming edition of IPL states that the teams can use the “empty stands” as extended dressing rooms for conducting outdoor strategic meetings which will help the teams to maintain social distancing.
The IPL 2020 will be held from September 19 in the UAE won’t feature any toss mascot this year which clearly means that the BCCI will lose out another chance of earning sponsorship money. Players & Support Staff’s families can travel to UAE but they won’t be allowed to travel in the team bus & leave the bio-secure bubble.
According to the SOP which was handed to the franchises the teams will have to use the spectators stand for dressing rooms purpose which will help them to maintain social distancing. “The Bio-Secure Environment means only essential staff will be on-site and no members of the public will be allowed”.
This clearly means that there will be more vacant areas at the stadium & dressing room will not be limited to the traditional dressing area. “Venue Cricket Operation teams should consider using appropriate areas beyond the normal dressing room,” the SOP states. Also the teams have been asked to use the electronic team sheets rather than captain holding the traditional hard copies of their playing XI list.
As a step to control corona, the SOP states that the franchises will install “Scalene Hypercharge Corona Canon (Shycocan), a device that has the ability to neutralise 99.9 percent of the coronavirus that might be floating in the air in closed spaces.”
In the SOP, Strict guidelines have also be given to the medical team including the physiotherapist & Masseurs that if they need to get in physical contact with any player for massage sessions etc they should wear PPE kits. The other recommendations are mostly those which ICC has already stated in its SOP published couple of months back, including the ban on saliva to shine the ball.
Other major things included in the BCCI’s SOPs that was handed to the franchises on Wednesday are eight different hotels for eight teams, two negative COVID-19 test reports before taking the flight to the UAE & punishment for any breach of the bio-secure rule. The SOP also makes it mandatory for the team to order the food in individual rooms & avoid the use of common dining areas in order “to prevent cross-infection and coming in contact with other hotel guests”.
