Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel has showered praise on Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj following his remarkable run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
After a successful first season on the international circuit with Team India, Siraj fired on all cylinders for the Kohli-led side in the 14th season of the cash-rich league.
Parthiv Patel Lauds Siraj
Former RCB wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel seemed highly impressed with Siraj’s conduct with the ball. Speaking to Star Sports, Parthiv lavished praises on the speedster saying that he helped RCB in solving their bowling woes.
The veteran also feels that Siraj is the story of the IPL 2021 as he constantly made headlines by nailing yorkers.
“Absolutely they did (solving their death overs bowling woes). I thought the way Siraj bowled this season,I think he is the story of this IPL. Everyone has spoken about Mohammed Siraj bowling well with the new ball and then not being able to bowl yorkers but this season he was nailing yorkers,” Patel was quoted as saying.
Over the past few months, Siraj is living a fairytale as he has managed to impress the who’s who of the cricket fraternity with his raw pace and ability to swing the ball.
Owing to a good performance in IPL 2020, Siraj received his maiden Test call and grabbed the opportunity provided to him with both hands. Featuring in three Test matches of four-match series against Australia, the seamer ended up as the highest wicket-taker for the visitors.
In his remarkable IPL career, Siraj has scalped 45 wickets from 42 matches. In IPL 2020, the Indian pacer played a crucial role in guiding Kohli and Co. to the business end of the competition.
The 27-year-old continued his dream run in IPL 2021 too as in seven matches he picked six wickets while bowling at an economy rate of 7.34.
The fifth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 league will be held here from November 19 to December 2, 2021 the tournament organisers said on Thursday.
Abu Dhabi T10 league 2021
Since, its inception in 2017, the T10 tournament has garnered a lot of attention and support from fans all across the globe as it is fast-paced and manages to entertain the viewers with some thrilling encounters.
A total of 20 overs are bowled in a single match with each team getting 10 overs to bat with a time duration of 90 minutes. The tournament is played in a round-robin format followed by semi-finals and the final.
MARK YOUR DIARIES!
Cricket’s fastest format is back in Abu Dhabi.
Season of the #AbuDhabiT10 will take place from 19th November – 4th December 2021.
“It is most heartening to see the world’s top cricketers in this hugely popular format and upcoming cricketers seize the advantage of the platform to rub shoulders with the best in the business,”Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman of Ten Sports Management (TSM), owners of the T10 League, said.
It is possible that the dates of the tournament were finalised keeping in mind the fact that this year’s T20 World Cup is currently scheduled to conclude on November 15, thus making the short-format international players available.
Moreover, the global event could yet be allotted to the UAE given that the original host, India, is battling a severe wave of the Covid-19 virus. So there is a chance that players would be able to avoid travel and quarantine by virtue of being in the same country.
Among those who could make their respective national side’s T20 World Cup squad, Mohammad Hafeez, Nicholas Pooran, Chris Jordan, and Dwayne Bravo – to name a few – have deals with the T10 franchises.
The last edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 was conducted in January-February this year, with the Northern Warriors emerging as champions. That tournament was held in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, with no crowds in attendance and safety measures in place for the players.
Following the suspension of IPL 2021 amid the Covid-19 crisis in India, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has reacted to the BCCI’s decision. BCCI took this decision of suspending IPL 2021 after various players affected with COVID19 positive inside the bio bubble.
Shoaib Akhtar on canceling IPL 2021
Akhtar had pointed out a few weeks ago that IPL should not be held amidst such a crisis in the country.
He captioned the post as: “IPL canceled. I saw it coming & suggested that two weeks ago. Nothing more important than saving human lives during the current covid crisis in India.”
“When I said a couple of weeks ago that the IPL should be stopped this year, there were emotions behind it. And it was that there is a national catastrophe that is taking place in India. People are dying. And I made the appeal because there were 4 lakh cases being reported a day. During such times, IPL cannot take place, the pomp and show cannot take place,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.
“I didn’t have a problem with people not making money. People have been making money since 2008. If they don’t make money for a year, what trouble will they get into? People are dying and you cannot have pomp and show. It’s a national disaster. So as a neighbor, I was requesting that the IPL should be stopped.”
Akhtar also pointed out that bio-secure bubbles are not the way going forward. He pointed out the flaws of bio-bubbles during PSL and then pointed out the similar outcome during IPL.
“IPL was never viable. We made a bio-secure bubble in the PSL and it completely flopped. India tried and the same happened there. In UAE and England, we would have had it. Over here, even people working in hotels are not safe. They don’t remain in the bio-secure bubble. International cricket can take place in a bubble, but not franchise cricket because the entire world comes. The IPL is not a small event,” Akhtar added.
Rajat Patidar, who made his IPL 2021 debut for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has revealed that the franchise has always been his favorite one in the Indian Premier League (IPL), thanks to the presence of captain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Rajat Patidar Praises RCB
In an interview with the Bangalore outfit, Patidar spoke about his stint in IPL 2021 saying that RCB was always his favorite IPL team and he will always cherish the memories of batting with Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
“RCB has always been my favorite team because of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Luckily, I got a chance to play with them. I was nervous before meeting them, but I liked it a lot after coming here,”Patidar said during the interview with RCB.
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 4, 2021
Further in the interaction, the 27-year-old revealed that he initially started his career as a spin bowler but it was his coach that recognized his talent as a batsman and directed him to work his charm with the willow rather than focusing on his abilities with the ball.
When asked about what inspired him to play cricket, Patidar reckoned that he started enjoying the game just because of the former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and is a big fan of him.
“At that time, there was just one name – Sachin Tendulkar. It all started because of him. And then slowly, when I started playing, I started following others like Rahul Dravid, and, from the current lot, I like Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli a lot,” he said.
Rajat Patidar has played four matches for RCB so far, scoring 71 runs, with a best of 31. Patidar, who plays for Madhya Pradesh, was bought by RCB for his base price of INR 20 lakhs in the IPL 2021 auction. He has an impressive T20 career with 770 runs in 26 T20s, with the best of 96 at a strike rate of 140.25.
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly address the media regarding the IPL 2021 bio secured bubble beach. BCCI postponed the IPL 2021 after multiple players tested positive for the COVID19.
Sourav Ganguly on IPL 2021 bubble breach
In an interview with the IE, BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly spoke about the thought process behind organising the IPL 2021 at home under bio bubble condition.
In hindsight, do you think it was a mistake to organise the IPL in India this year?
No. When we decided, the number was not even close to this. We did the England tour successfully.
Was there a discussion to hold it in the UAE?
It was discussed, but the (COVID-19 cases) in India in February was (virtually) nothing. It has just gone through the roof in the last three weeks. Before that it was nothing. We discussed about the UAE but then decided to do it in India.
Is there a window to resume the season?
We will see. It’s too early to say.
If at all it can be resumed, will that be in the UAE or in India?
I don’t know. It’s too early to say.
Was the bubble breach a case of the bio-security bubble not being fool proof? Or was there somebody who broke the bubble?
I don’t think so. The report we got is that there’s no breach of the bubble. How it happened is very difficult to say. How so many people are getting (infected) in the country is also very difficult to say.
Would hosting the season in one or two cities have been better than a six-city arrangement?
As I said, when we decided all this, there was no (Covid spike) in India. So it’s very easy to say now, but when this tournament was organised, Covid numbers (in India) were nothing.
We started with Mumbai and finished there without any case. And Mumbai was very high (number of active Covid cases) then.
Unlike last season, the BCCI didn’t appoint UK-company Restrata to take charge of the bubble. Would it have been good to appoint them this year, given their expertise?
We discussed their name, but they don’t have a big presence in India, that was the problem. So we went with others.
So basically the bubble was BCCI-arranged. Do you have any regret that maybe a professional hand would have been better?
They are all professional hands. Professional hands around the world can’t control it (virus penetrating the bubble). When it was happening in England (second wave of the pandemic), there were cases in the English Premier League. Manchester City, Arsenal players got infected.
Matches got rescheduled. Because their season is six months long, they can do it. But our season is tight. Since we have to (release) players to their respective countries, rescheduling was very difficult.
How are you managing a safe passage for foreign players?
They will all be fine. They are all looked after and they will all reach home. The Australians will reach the Maldives tomorrow, finish their quarantine and then reach Australia safely. So I don’t see any issue.
Does the BCCI have any plan to vaccinate the Indian cricketers before they go to England for the World Test Championship (WTC) final?
Now that they have time, they will do it individually since the (state) governments (are) getting the vaccinations done. They all go to their respective homes, so it’s an easier option that way.
The IPL brings a major chunk of revenue for the BCCI. Now that the season has been postponed, will domestic players be compensated since there was no Ranji Trophy either this season?
They will be compensated. It has been decided in the AGM only. So at the end of the season, when their payments will go, they will be compensated.
Will a revenue shortage affect the compensation?
No, it won’t.
Is the WTC final is on schedule?
Yes, it is (at Southampton from June 18-22).
So the players will assemble, undergo tests, serve a 10-day quarantine upon reaching England?
Yes, absolutely.
There have been reports about the T20 World Cup being shifted to the UAE…
It’s too early (to say).
This was the first time IMG wasn’t in charge for managing the IPL in India. Did that affect arrangements?
IMG doesn’t look after Covid. Even when it happened in UAE last year, IMG was not responsible for Covid (management). IMG was organising the matches and the event. Covid is (handled) completely by medical infrastructure. It has got nothing to do with IMG.
Was it unfair for the BCCI to cop criticism for continuing with the IPL in the middle of a Covid spike?
That answers your question. The English Premier League (when the UK was in lockdown), La Liga, everything was happening around the world.
Anything the BCCI is planning to contribute to Covid relief?
Yes. We did it last year (Rs 51 crore). So this year also we are thinking of doing things.
Post the IPL 2021 suspension MS Dhoni has informed his CSK teammates that he will be the last person to board the flight back home. BCCI have suspended the IPL 2021 owing to the spike in COVID19 cases inside the bio bubble.
Though BCCI developed strict protocols for the bio bubble the players inside the bubble tested positive for COVID19. Times of Sports have listed the possible lppoholes of COVID19 breach inside the bio bubble whcih results in back to back positive cases among the players.
MS Dhoni delays in leaving IPL 2021 camp
In a virtual meeting with his teammates, Dhoni said that since the IPL is happening in India, the foreign players and support staff should get the preference to travel first to reach their homes abroad. And the Indian team players will later depart for home.
CSK organised a charter flight for its players from Delhi. A ten-seater flight carrying CSK players went to Rajkot and Mumbai in the morning while the evening charter plane dropped players from Bangalore and Chennai. Dhoni is scheduled to fly on Thursday evening to his home in Ranchi.
“Mahibhai said that he will be the last person to leave the hotel. He wanted foreigners to leave first, then the Indian players. He will be taking the last flight tomorrow when everyone reaches their home safe and secure,” a member of CSK told The Indian Express.
CSK organised a charter flight for its players from Delhi. A ten-seater flight carrying CSK players went to Rajkot and Mumbai in the morning while the evening charter plane dropped players from Bangalore and Chennai. Dhoni is scheduled to fly on Thursday evening to his home in Ranchi.
Teams like Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab also organised charter flights for its Indian players while Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad players boarded commercial flights to their respective destinations.
Many players took cabs to reach their respective destinations – from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and from Delhi to Punjab.
Three-day quarantine for Indian players
The BCCI has informed all Indian players and support staff that they will have to undergo three days of isolation at home and another RT-PCR Test will be conducted on the third day after their arrival.
UK players reach home
Eight of the 11 UK players who took part in IPL have reached their country. The other three – Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, and Chris Jordan – are expected to reach in a couple of days. Mooen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Jason Roy, and Chris Woakes are the eight who have reached and are quarantining in government-approved hotels.
This also means that the players will be available for the Test series against New Zealand at home in June.
South Africans reached home
The 11 South African players have left for their country as there have been no restrictions imposed by their government on air travel.
They will be quarantined once they reach. Ab de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, Faf du Plessis, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Chris Morris, David Miller, and Gerald Coetzee are the players in the tournament.
chartered flight Bangladesh players
Shakib Al Hasan and Muztafizur Rahman will soon be taking a chartered flight back home from Delhi. Commercial flights from India have been banned by the Bangladesh government since April 24 and the players will have to undergo 14-day quarantine after they reach.
The BCCI has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to four Indian women cricketers, including T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur, to play in the inaugural ”The Hundred” cricket tournament in the UK starting on 21 July.
Indian women cricketers Granted NOC for “The Hundred” Cricket
Opener Smriti Mandhana, T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and all-rounder Deepti Sharma are the four Indian women cricketers selected for the Hundred cricket tournament.
“Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Deepti, and Jemimah have got the clearance as the BCCI has granted the NOC for them,” a BCCI source told PTI.
The selected players will report on 27 May, though it is not known how they will travel to the UK as flights from India have been suspended by the British government in the wake of an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases.
“The players will be asked to report on 27 May for the tour,” the source said.
Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues took part in the now-defunct Kia Super League (KSL) in 2019, the ECB’s domestic T20 tournament that made way for the Women’s Hundred.
The Hundred, which was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will kick off with the women’s match between the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals in London before their respective men’s sides meet the following day.
With no player draft for the women, teams are selected by their respective head coaches.
The Hundred Cricket Schedule
Date
Match
Venue
21-Jul
Oval Invincibles v Manchester Originals (women’s),
Kia Oval
22-Jul
Oval Invincibles v Manchester Originals (men’s), Kia Oval
Kia Oval
23-Jul
Birmingham Phoenix v London Spirit,
Edgbaston
24-Jul
Trent Rockets v Southern Brave,
Trent Bridge
Northern Superchargers v Welsh Fire,
Emerald Headingley
25-Jul
London Spirit v Oval Invincibles
Lord’s
Manchester Originals v Birmingham Phoenix
Emirates Old Trafford
26-Jul
Trent Rockets v Northern Superchargers
Trent Bridge
27-Jul
Welsh Fire v Southern Brave
Sophia Gardens
28-Jul
Manchester Originals v Northern Superchargers
Emirates Old Trafford
29-Jul
London Spirit v Trent Rockets
Lord’s
30-Jul
Southern Brave v Birmingham Phoenix
Ageas Bowl
31-Jul
Welsh Fire v Manchester Originals
Sophia Gardens
Northern Superchargers v Oval Invincibles
Emerald Headingley
01-Aug
Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets
Edgbaston
London Spirit v Southern Brave
Lord’s
02-Aug
Oval Invincibles v Welsh Fire
Kia Oval
03-Aug
London Spirit v Northern Supercharger
Lord’s
04-Aug
Birmingham Phoenix v Oval Invincibles
Edgbaston
05-Aug
Manchester Originals v Southern Brave
Emirates Old Trafford
06-Aug
Welsh Fire v Trent Rockets
Sophia Gardens
07-Aug
Southern Brave v Northern Superchargers
Ageas Bowl
08-Aug
Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets
Kia Oval
09-Aug
Birmingham Phoenix v Welsh Fire
Edgbaston
10-Aug
Manchester Originals v London Spirit
Emirates Old Trafford
11-Aug
Southern Brave v Welsh Fire
Ageas Bowl
12-Aug
Northern Superchargers v Manchester Originals
Emerald Headingley
13-Aug
Trent Rockets v Birmingham Phoenix
Trent Bridge
14-Aug
Oval Invincibles v London Spirit
Kia Oval
15-Aug
Trent Rockets v Manchester Originals
Trent Bridge
16-Aug
Southern Brave v Oval Invincibles
Ageas Bowl
17-Aug
Northern Superchargers v Birmingham Phoenix
Emerald Headingley
18-Aug
Welsh Fire v London Spirit
Sophia Gardens
20-Aug
Eliminator (both women’s and men’s)
Kia Oval
21-Aug
Finals (both women’s and men’s)
Lord’s
The Hundred Cricket Squad
Birmingham Phoenix
Men’s squad: Moeen Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Henry Brookes, Pat Brown, Chris Cooke, Tom Helm, Adam Hose, Benny Howell, Liam Livingstone, Dominic Sibley, Kane Williamson, Chris Woakes, Adam Zampa, Tom Abell, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Miles Hammond.
Men’s squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Mohammad Amir, Mason Crane, Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Jade Dernbach, Dan Lawrence, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammad Nabi, Luis Reece, Adam Rossington, Roelof van der Merwe, Mark Wood, Ravi Bopara, Chris Wood.
Men’s squad: Ben Stokes, Aaron Finch, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chris Lynn, Adil Rashid, Adam Lyth, David Willey, Olly Stone, Matthew Potts, Matthew Fisher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Harry Brooks, Brydon Carse, Callum Parkinson, John Simpson.
Men’s squad: Jos Buttler, Nicholas Pooran, Kagiso Rabada, Harry Gurney, Phil Salt, Matt Parkinson, Joe Clarke, Jamie Overton, Shadab Khan, Tom Lammonby, Wayne Madsen, Steven Finn, Colin Ackermann, Richard Gleenson, Tom Hartley.
Women’s Squad: Georgia Boyce, Natalie Brown, Danielle Collins, Kate Cross, Mignon du Preez, Alice Dyson, Sophie Ecclestone, Cordelia Griffith, Alex Hartley, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Lizelle Lee, Ellie Threlkeld.
Oval Invincibles
Men’s squad: Sam Billings, Alex Blake, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Laurie Evans, Will Jacks, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sunil Narine, Jason Roy, Nathan Sowter, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood, Colin Ingram, Brandon Glover, Jordan Clark.
Women’s Squad: Georgia Adams, Megan Belt, Sarah Bryce, Alice Capsey, Tash Farrant, Jo Gardner, Eva Gray, Marizanne Kapp, Rhianna Southby, Dane van Niekerk, Fran Wilson, Rachael Haynes, Mady Villiers.
Southern Brave
Men’s squad: Jofra Archer, David Warner, Alex Davies, Liam Dawson, George Garton, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Craig Overton, Delray Rawlins, Andre Russell, Marcus Stoinis, James Vince, Max Waller, Ross Whiteley, Danny Briggs.
Men’s squad: Lewis Gregory, Matthew Carter, Joe Root, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Cox, Alex Hales, Rashid Khan, Dawid Malan, Tom Moores, Steven Mullaney, D’Arcy Short, Luke Wood, Luke Wright, Timm Van Der Gugten, Samit Patel.
Men’s squad: Qais Ahmed, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Ryan Higgins, David Payne, Liam Plunkett, Ollie Pope, Kieron Pollard, Jhye Richardson, Jake Ball, Ian Cockbain, Josh Cobb, Matthew Critchley, David Lloyd.
Women’s Squad: Laura Filer, Katie George, Amy Gordon, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Sophie Luff, Natasha Wraith, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Bryony Smith, Sarah Taylor.
Mike Hussey, the batting coach of Chennai Super Kings, has tested positive for Covid19 and will have to stay back in India longer than his compatriots and other overseas participants of the postponed IPL 2021 season.
Mike Hussey tests Positive for COVID19
The 45-year-old former Australian cricketer is among three members from the CSK camp to have been infected by the virus. CSK bowling coach Laxmipathy Balaji and a bus cleaner also tested positive for COVID19.
“We’ve spoken to Mike today. He is in good spirits,” Todd Greenberg, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, said. “His symptoms are relatively mild. He is in a stint of isolation in his hotel room…he has good support systems around him.”
Cricket Australia’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley on Wednesday said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is working to arrange a charter flight for the Australian contingent, who are likely to stay in the Maldives or Sri Lanka before heading back home because of a travel ban on the Covid-19-hit India.
The nearly 40-strong Australian contingent, comprising players, support staff, and commentators, were in the country for the Indian Premier League and could be flown to the Maldives or Sri Lanka before getting a connecting flight for home.
Hussey is the 7th person associated with the tournament to have contracted the virus during IPL 2021.
Apart from the Super Kings, there have been positive tests from at least three other franchises. From the Kolkata Knight Riders, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seam bowler Sandeep Warrier tested positive, forcing their match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 3 to be rescheduled.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and the Delhi Capitals’ legspinner Amit Mishra also tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
BCCI decides to postpone the IPL 2021 owing to the spike in COVID19 cases inside the bio bubble. Players were quarantined before entering the bio bubble and isolated from being in contact with the outside world.
Though BCCI followed strict protocols some of the IPL 2021 participants were tested positive for the COVID19. A first, KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive which forces the postponement of their game against RCB.
All at once, CSK announced that three of their non-playing members were tested positive for the same. Though they again announced that they were tested negative the team enters into one-week isolation. This made the situation even worse.
BCCI came to the decision of postponing the IPL 2021 when SRH wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and DC’ Amit Mishra also tests positive for COVID19.
Possible Reasons for COVID19 breach in IPL 2021
Though BCCI prepared strict protocols for the IPL 2021 they too leave some loopholes in their “Standard Operation Procedures”. Following are the list of possible ways for COVID19 breaching in IPL 2021 bio secure bubble.
Random Hotels
Hotels were booked randomly instead of being in closer proximity to stadiums. One franchise stayed in a hotel based inside a mall. Hotels weren’t kept reserved for later use. At some hotels, the BCCI is unsure if staff were quarantined for a mandatory 14 days.
Training Session
Ground staff wasn’t put inside a bio-bubble as several from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai turned positive. On occasions, both franchises came to the ground to train at the same time.
Fault in Match Schedule
Matches were scheduled in multiple cities despite spectators not being allowed to “negate home advantage”. In the IPL, crowds alone are considered a home advantage. Scheduling the IPL in a single city would have worked better.
No Central Bubble
Unlike the 2020 edition in UAE, BCCI did not hire an IT and safety company once again to build a central bubble. The board hired the services of a hospital and a testing laboratory.
Notably, BCCI moves the IPL 2020 to UAE owing to the COVID19 pandemic at that situation. Not like IPL 2021, UAE hosts all the matches without even a single positive case inside the bio bubble.
Faulty GPS Tracking
Franchises are complaining of a faulty GPS tracking system where the FOBS handed over to individuals were ‘sub-standard’.
Transportation
The majority of the cases were emerged during or after travel. Tarmac to tarmac flights were not arranged.
Hostel Staff Wasn’t Quarantined
In certain hotels. staff did not undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine before check-ins. The mandatory seven-day quarantine protocol was read incorrectly.
No Education Programs
There was no education program set up, except the handing over of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Crew Bubble Hassle
Broadcast crew and commentators, having to travel on an emergency basis, were left with no choice but to fly economy. Broadcasters were left to create their own separate bubble.
Though BCCI has not yet finalized the reschedule of the remaining matches IPL chairman claims that BCCI may reschedule IPL 2021 around the ICC T20WC 2021.
Earlier BCCI has arranged a well-developed biosecure bubble to host the IPL 2021 matches. Somehow the players and staff were tested COVID19 positive in the mid of the league which forces the BCCI to shut down the ongoing tournament.
As overseas players start to move to their home country staging the remaining matches of IPL 2021 seems to be impossible for the next couple of months. Keeping this in mind BCCI plans to continue the league somewhere around the ICC T20 WC.
Brijesh Patel IPL 2021 Resume Date
In an exclusive chat with news18 from his home in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the 68-year-old gave a glimpse on IPL 2021 resume date. Following is the Excerpts of his chat with News18.
How tough was it to take the decision to indefinitely postpone?
It’s always a tough decision to suspend a tournament like the IPL. But, four teams were involved and some players included. One player in Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and one support staff from Chennai Super Kings tested positive.
It was not possible to reschedule the matches with four teams involved. Looking at the overall situation also in India, what we thought best was to suspend it and have the matches later.
When are you looking at conducting them?
The remaining 31 matches will be completed whenever we can. So, matches will resume from where we left this year. We have to look at a window, before the ICC T20 World Cup or after the World Cup (October-November 2021).
What were the options you considered before deciding on the suspension?
Just to reschedule some of the matches. If two teams were involved (testing positive), it was okay, possible to reschedule matches. But, with four teams involved, and we were not sure if there wouldn’t be further cases.
Just for the safety of everyone – the players, the support staff, the commentators, all the stakeholders – it was decided that it was better to suspend IPL.
How much pressure was on the BCCI to suspend IPL? There were calls from all corners saying how could IPL be held when people were dying and suffering in the country?
There was no pressure on BCCI to suspend IPL. The public opinion was such that those watching IPL and asking them what about it, everyone was saying ‘it was very good for us. The whole day, 24×7 we are only watching all Covid-related news and developments.
At least for these three-four hours, there is some entertainment through IPL. Anyway, you have asked us to stay at home.
At least these three-four hours, people get their minds diverted. Also, the main important thing is that we are not super spreaders. It is not like we were having melas and rallies. IPL is not a super spreader of the virus.
Everyone thinks bio-bubble is safe. Some say they feel safer in the bubble than even at home. But, how did Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warrier (both KKR), L Balaji (CSK), Wriddhiman Saha (SRH) or Amit Mishra (DC) get it?
I don’t know. Earlier, during Covid-I, it was said that if you don’t maintain social distance or not wear a mask, the virus would spread. If you maintained social distancing, that was ok. But now, Covid-II is spreading through the air. We don’t know how these boys have got it. Otherwise, the bubble is pretty good and safe. We will look into it as to how they got it.
How tough was it for BCCI to create a bio-bubble in India?
It is not that we have not done it. We did it in Dubai successfully late last year. One thing in Dubai was that we did not have to travel by air. It was by road only between Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. Here, we had to travel to other centers by air.
Was there a breach in bio-bubble protocols with Chakravarthy going to the hospital for a scan? Should he not have been isolated after it? What exactly happened?
He went for a scan. We don’t know if he got it there. Many of the scan centres are spreaders. We will look into what he did, where he got it.
What was the mind-set of the players under the circumstances?
Players were also concerned. If someone gets Covid, they also get worried, don’t they? Till then, they were playing well.
Was there pressure on the players, especially the big names, to stay when some others like Andrew Tye and Adam Zampa left for home?
The players were focused. You have been seeing the matches. The Australian government will open flights from India.
What steps are being taken to ensure the smooth return of all the players?
We will see what needs to be done. Whatever help is required from the BCCI, we will extend.
What happens to those who have tested positive? They cannot be sent home immediately, right?
Let’s see what it is. Each franchise has got its own rules.
How do you look at the whole scenario?
The situation is such that you never know what is in store in these circumstances. We did not expect Covid-II to spread so fast. You are also sitting at home and trying to be safe, right?
Australian ace pacer Pat Cummins issued a clarification from his official Twitter handle that he had decided to make his donation of $50,000 to UNICEF Australia’s India COVID19 Crisis Appeal instead of to PM care fund.
Change in Pat Cummins COVID19 Donation
“There has been quite a bit of discussion over here as to whether it is appropriate for the IPL to continue while COVID-19 infection rates remain high,”
Cummins wrote. “I’m advised that the Indian Government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country.”
“As players, we are privileged to have a platform that allows us to reach millions of people that we can use for good. With that in mind, I have made a contribution to the ‘PM Cares Fund,’ specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India’s hospitals.”
“I encourage my fellow IPL players – and anyone around else the world who has been touched by India’s passion and generosity – to contribute. I will kick it off with $50,000,” he wrote.
“At times like this it is easy to feel helpless. I’ve certainly felt that of late. But I hope by making this public appeal we can all channel our emotions into action that will bring light into people’s lives. I know my donation isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but I hope it will make a difference to someone.”
Australian Cricket will throw its support behind the India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal by partnering with the @ACA_Players and @unicefaustralia to raise much needed funds.
Last month, the 27-year-old had become a beacon of hope, a catalyst for international cricketers and other celebrities to start donating towards India’s battle against the ruthless second wave of the coronavirus in the country when he informed his fans about his donation.
In the tweet, Cummins had mentioned that he had made his contribution towards the PM CARES program and had urged more and more people to do the same.
Bangladesh players Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman might have to return to their country from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 sooner than planned.
Shakib Al Hasan & Mustafizur Rahman set to leave Early
The development comes due to the quarantine rule imposed by the Bangladesh health ministry, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the Bangladesh Cricket Board chief said on Monday.
The new quarantine rule by the Bangladesh health ministry, which came into effect from May 1, states that travelers coming from India and South Africa will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period before resuming work. BCB will need special permission from the Directorate General of Health Services to avail any relaxation on the new rule.
The statements from the BCB chief comes days after the two IPL stars were included in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad for Sri Lanka ODIs which is likely to begin from May 23, the same day that IPL’s league stage ends. IPL 2021 final is scheduled to be played on May 30.
“We have asked them (Shakib and Mustafizur) to let us know what is their plan for the next 15 days while we have also asked the health ministry to know what kind of quarantine protocol the two players will need to follow,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told Cricbuzz on Monday.
“If the health ministry suggests that they will have to follow seven or 14 days quarantine, they will have to return earlier than scheduled from IPL. But before that, we have to know what rules will be in place for them. We are bound by the Bangladesh Government rules, and will take decisions according to the guideline provided by the government,”he added.
Earlier, BCB had reduced the quarantine for their foreign coaching staff and cricketers but the scale of the second COVID-19 wave reduces the chances of the same happening this time.