Anil Kumble, as head of the ICC’S Cricket Committee, has played a huge role to
ensure the return of cricket. The former India captain, in an exclusive interview, takes us through what will be cricket’s new normal.
“Only when we play, shall we discover the new normals. These instructions are not written in stone and we know we would have to be flexible,” says Anil Kumble, Chairman of the International Cricket Council’s Cricket Committee.
Tests too. A player with symptoms will be ruled out for the duration of the match. In a Test, the player may test negative before the match, pick up symptoms in a couple of days, could be common u, fever, and in the process expose the others to infection. This Covid substitution would allow the team to carry on with the match,” Kumble told Sportstar.
“We have to accept the challenges that have come with the pandemic,” said Kumble. “We don’t want the game to suer and that the idea of Covid substitute is aimed at encouraging the matches to resume in these extraordinary times.”
Administrators worldwide have shown a great urge to resume cricket activities with the West Indies already in England to play a Test series. Covid substitution is, according to Kumble, “an idea to eliminate the infected person from the remaining part of the game. The medical team would conrm the infection.”
Would it not be a risk? The ICC is aware of the risk factor but as Kumble explained, “We are trying to create an environ in reducing the risk. We were told by the medical team (of ICC) that saliva was an easy way of carrying the virus. We considered the protocols followed by various countries. The protocols would be dierent in dierent countries. But we have to see the risk is minimum. There would be protocols to be followed in the dressing room and on the eld. We will try whatever possible. The ICC can give guidelines. It is for the teams to follow them.”
Kumble emphasised the move to ban saliva was driven by the medical advice. Other measures, like home umpires for international matches, have been brought in keeping the “safety factor” in mind. “We don’t want the umpires to risk ying across the world. Since some of them would be short of experience we have allowed an extra DRS. The objective is to ensure cricket is played. We don’t know what other risks could be there on resumption of matches but we shall deal with them as they come.”
On the impact of saliva being banned, Kumble observed, “Maybe in future we might be told that saliva is not risky but the idea of applicator to maintain the shine of the ball is not good. We would be better o playing without using saliva. Cricket is a game of uncertainties and we have to make adjustments. Uncertainties in the past have come from the weather, the pitch, the bounce, the eld placements. We can look at making changes to the pitches. They can be bowlerfriendly. We have to look at things in a practical manner as cricket resumes.”
Insisting that these were interim measures basically aimed at resumption of
matches, Kumble noted, “We shall know soon how dicult would these measures be to maintain. There could be challenges from the elding positions, say, wicketkeeper in close positions, closein elders. The authorities will be taking the call with umpires and match referees being responsible for what happens on the eld. Like disinfecting the ball. We don’t want to dictate.”
There are going to be challenges. In case of a big number of players showing Covid symptoms, the match obviously would have to be called o. “Players’ safety is paramount,” said Kumble. “We are taking the precautions. Players are staying in a bubble and not exposing themselves to these risks because they are also keen to resume competitive activities. We expect them to follow the protocols strictly. We are hoping they adhere to the guidelines from the medical team strictly.”
As Kumble observed, “Only when we play, shall we discover the new normals. These instructions are not written in stone and we know we would have to be exible.
We have to get the game going. The players have to be responsible and embrace the changes, have to adjust. There would be a dierent element of skill arising out of the new challenges. We would take the call as the challenges emerge but the criteria for the game to resume is safety and health of the players. There would be medical experts guiding us.”
The Englandwest Indies series would be the curtain raiser for cricket this year. The cricket world is keen to get on with the World T20 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) is looking for a possible window later in the season.
Cricket needs a global competition — World T20 or the IPL. Bowlers have reconciled to the fact that they would have to develop new tactics to fox the batsmen. Use of saliva is past. As Kumble said, “I know cricket is going to be dierent. Not just cricket, general life is going to be dierent. We can only hope for things to come back to normal even if it may be a new normal. Let cricket begin at least.”