‘Lucknow will get to host an India-SA tie at a later date’
UP Cricket Association is expected to host an ODI at Ekana Stadium when SA tour again
LUCKNOW : Fans in the state capital shouldn’t feel disappointed as the Board of Control for Cricket in India has rescheduled the ongoing ODI series in view of the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) outbreak, and state capital’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium would get one of the matches of the series again at a later date.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India along with Cricket South Africa on Friday announced rescheduling of the series, including the second ODI, which was scheduled to be played here on Sunday, and promised to hold the series at a later date in India. This was Team India’s maiden one-day in the state capital after they played a Twenty20 game against West Indies in November 2018.
“We are very much sure of getting a match in the series at a later date again and I feel that fans shouldn’t feel disappointed,” an official of the UP Cricket Association said on condition of anonymity. “We have been promised a match in UP, when the series held at a later date,” he added.
In fact, the cancellation of the Sunday’s ODI as well as the series was looming large since Friday morning, especially when the BCCI announced the postponement of IPL.
This wasn’t all as Uttar Pradesh government too invoked Epidemic Act to check the spread of coronavirus, and it allowed over 600 sports persons, including Team India skipper Virat Kohli and his South African counterpart Quinton de Kock to pass through compulsory screening before the start of match on Sunday.
Under the Act, the government have delegated powers to facilitate treatment and, if required, shifting of people to isolation ward to check the spread COVID-19 pandemic. While announcing the invoking of the Act on Friday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath too had requested all cricket fans to stay put at home and enjoy the game on TV only.
So far a total of 11 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the State, including one in Lucknow.
“I would like everyone in the state to enjoy the India-South Africa ODI on TV while staying at home,” the CM had said after chairing a high-level meeting to discuss the measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Minutes before the cancellation of the series, both Indian and South African along with their medical experts in the travelling crew, reached the state capital on Friday evening on a chartered flight. The crew included three doctors with the Indian team, whereas the chief medical officer of the Cricket South Africa, Dr Shuaib Manjra was with the team in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
“No one, not even foreign cricketers, would be spared from coronavirus screening as the district administration was not taking any chances,” said a senior official of the UP Cricket Association (UPCA) on Friday.
“At a meeting with the administration we had been told that all 600 people, including players, match officials, broadcasting crew members, cops, catering people, housekeeping employees and the media persons would be properly checked before entering the stadium,” he added.
Ekana Sportz City’s media co-ordinator Gaurav Singh too confirmed that special arrangements to screen the people were made at both North and South pavilions, which houses all people required for the match, including players and the organisers.
“There were plans to have eight teams of specialized people to check everyone, including fans, but since the match was happening in the closed doors with no fans in the stadium, screening had to be done at both the North and South pavilions of the stadium,” said Singh.
Sources in the UP Cricket
Association said that district administration had reportedly cancelled all accreditations for the match, including the one issued by the BCCI to its officials and others as it has decided to issue a fresh one to all concerned.
“It’s not a routine situation where everyone with the accreditations given by the BCCI was allowed inside the stadium on the match day. We had been advised that all accreditations issued by the BCCI or any other organisation for the match stand cancelled and fresh ones were being issued by the district administration even to the broadcasting crew members and the media,” a UPCA official said on condition of anonymity.