Players to go through COVID-19 test before planned practice
IMAGE: COLLECTED
CF Correspondent
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to bring all the cricketers under the COVID-19 test before going into practice after a long break.
Due to the massive outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the government like the other countries across the world imposed a lockdown-like situation for which people were forced to stay at their house for the entire time, which was eased down on May 30.
However, the situation has not come under the control yet, which is why BCB is also not taking any risk to rush them into starting right away. Rather, they are planning and taking their time as the board doesn’t want to risk players’ health.
As a part of the plan of returning cricket on the field, BCB is thinking of doing COVID-19 tests of the players before bringing them back to the field for a training programme.
Cricket is slowly returning to its former pace with undertaking lots of measures and guidelines. People across the globe will witness the restart of the 22-yard fight through the series between England and West Indies in July after a five-month break.
BCB has also undertaken some initiatives to return its cricket on the field. And as a first step of it, the whole BCB will be disinfected, which will gradually be covered by all the infrastructures used by cricketers in Mirpur including Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, National Cricket Academy, Gymnasium and its Indoor Stadium.
Players will be able to start practice when Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla is fully ready for practice after the disinfection program. But before that, cricketers will have to go through the COVID-19 test.
Not only that, when the cricketers will come to the venue premises for the practice, all of them have to follow the advice of the doctors and maintain the ICC guidelines.
Acknowledging the matter of the BCB plan, BCB director and its Cricket Operations Committee Chairman Akram Khan said they plan to start practice after the situation improves.
“Our office is open. At the moment we are trying to disinfect the cricket board. We plan to start practice after our situation improves. That’s why we’re taking this action in advance,” Akram Khan said.
“When the players will come, what will happen to those who will be with them, we’ve started the work with the advice of the doctor and following the ICC guidelines. But we’re not taking risks until the situation improves,” Khan told to a Bengali portal.
“We’ll not go into isolation but we’re having a thought of doing COVID-19 test for the players. In fact, we’re just preparing now. Let’s see where the situation goes,” he added.
