THAT EMPTY FEELING
New Zealand Cricket has no plans to play the Black Caps’ looming threematch home Twenty20 series against Australia behind closed doors.
Yesterday’s opening match of the Chappell-Hadlee trans-Tasman oneday series was played at an empty Sydney Cricket Ground to minimise the risk of public exposure to coronavirus. It will be the same for the second match tomorrow, also at the SCG, and next Friday’s third and final match in Hobart.
Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson was being tested for Covid-19 and was not with his teammates when they arrived at the SCG. He was reportedly feeling fine and would rejoin the squad if the tests were negative.
The sides then travel to New Zealand for a three-match T20 series, beginning in Dunedin on March 24.
New Zealand Cricket boss David White said NZC’s chief medical officer Martin Swan was in frequent contact with the government and health authorities.
Unless the situation worsened in New Zealand, the T20s would proceed as usual. Fans would be able to attend the T20 matches in New Zealand too.
The second T20 is at Auckland’s Eden Park on March 27 with the final match at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval on March 29.
‘‘As it stands at the moment the situation doesn’t seem to be as extreme as Australia and it’s business as usual for us [in New Zealand],’’ White told Stuff.
‘‘Unless the situation escalates it will be business as usual and those three [T20] games will go ahead.’’
New Zealand’s major associations and domestic cricketers had also been briefed around hygiene. The Plunket Shield four-day competition would carry on as normal.
New Zealand cricketers heading away to compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) later this month would be guided by the government and health authorities.
■ The Jaguares announced that their Super Rugby match against the Highlanders (noon tomorrow, NZ time) will be held behind closed doors in Buenos Aires.
■ The NRL will be played in empty stadiums in round two next week with clubs advised to comply with Australian government advice to ban large gatherings from Monday.
The governing body cleared Canberra and North Queensland to host their round-one games last night and will reassess the situation this morning for the five remaining games this weekend, including the Warriors’ clash with the Knights in Newcastle.
■ The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was called off yesterday, as was the accompanying Supercars 400. That decision angered many fans who queued outside the gates only to be told, hours later, they would not be allowed in.
■ The first major sporting event in New Zealand to be hit is the Piha Pro surfing event. The World Surf League has cancelled next week’s Piha Pro WSL Challenger Series due to the outbreak.
■ Team New Zealand says the first series of races leading up to the America’s Cup will not go ahead because of coronavirus fears. ‘‘It is quite obvious that the ACWS Cagliari event cannot go ahead,’’ Team New Zealand said on Twitter.
The America’s Cup World Series at Cagliari on the Italian island of Sardinia was scheduled for April 23-26.
Coronavirus has risen to an estimated 100,000 infections and 4000 deaths, as with sports events were postponed, cancelled or played without spectators.
Further disruption looms, after US President Donald Trump said the US would suspend all travel from Europe for 30 days.
Some of the sports affected were. Rugby (Argentina/Japan/ France): The Sunwolves are unable to play in Japan, and have played home games in Australia, including today’s match against the Crusaders in Brisbane. The France-Ireland Six Nations game this weekend in Paris has been postponed as well as six women’s Six Nations games.
Cricket: The India-South Africa 2nd ODI on March 15, and the 3rd ODI on March 18 will have no spectators, nor will the Indian Premier League, due to start on March 29, and the Pakistan Super
League from March 13. The Australia women’s tour of South Africa, to start this month has been cancelled.
Hockey (Black Sticks): New Zealand’s Hockey Pro League matches in Germany on March 19 and the Netherlands on March 29 have been postponed.
Rowing (Italy): World Cup I in Sabuadia, Italy from April 10-12 has been cancelled.
Football (global): Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea striker Callum Hudson-Odoi have both tested positive to the virus. Chelsea’s entire squad is selfisolating. The Arsenal-Brighton Premier League game has already been posted and officials were to hold an emergency meeting last night to discuss future plans.
The Champions League match between Manchester City and Real Madrid was postponed after the Spanish team put its players in quarantine. The second leg of Juventus’ last-16 tie against Lyon was also been postponed following defender Daniele Rugani’s positive test.
Spain’s La Liga has suspended its first and second divisions for the next two matchdays while all football in the Netherlands has been suspended. France will have no spectators in the top two divisions until April 15. Teams can not enter or exit Italy.
The Slovakia-Ireland Euro 2020 playoff will be played without fans but there has been speculation that the tournament, scheduled to take place between June 12-July 12, will be postponed for a year.
In Japan, J League games have been postponed for a week. America’s Major League Soccer has shut down for 30 days.
Tennis (global): The International Tennis Federation has suspended all its events until April 20.
Ice Hockey (US/Canada): The National Hockey League has suspended its season indefinitely. The women’s world championship in Canada from March 31 has been cancelled.
Baseball (US): Major League Baseball is delaying the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks.
Golf (US): The Players Championship in Florida, often considered the game’s unofficial fifth match, has been cancelled after the first round was completed yesterday. The next three events have also been canned.
Three LPGA events in Asia have been cancelled, three European Tour events have been cancelled, and two more postponed.
Basketball (US and Europe): All US NBA games have been suspended ‘‘until further notice’’, a hiatus that is likely to last ‘‘at least 30 days’’. The NCAA has cancelled the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments. The Euroleague has suspended all games in Italy until April 11.
Olympic Games (Japan): Any decision to delay the Olympics (July 24-August 9) would need to be made before May, but organisers have vowed the Games would not be cancelled or postponed.
Skiing (Sweden): The final races of the women’s Alpine skiing World Cup season have been cancelled.
Figure Skating (Canada) The world championships, to be held in Montreal over the next week have been cancelled.
Italy: The Italian Olympic Committee has stopped domestic sporting events until April 3.
Baseball (US/Japan): Major League Baseball’s pre-season from March 12 has been cancelled. Regular season due to start on March 26, postponed. Japan has postponed the start of its baseball season, from March 20, until April.
MotoGP and World Superbikes (Global): One MotoGP race has been cancelled, two have been moved, three have been postponed. Superbikes has postponed three rounds .