Resume cricket only when there is no risk: ICC

The body’s guidelines aim at getting the sport up and running while at the same time maintaining safety protocols

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) advised its member nations to exercise caution while resuming activities, fearing a spurt in local transmission. It is to be noted many countries are still struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

As member nations ease restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus, ICC on Friday issued comprehensive guidelines aimed at getting the sport up and running around the world while at the same time maintaining the highest safety protocols. ‘Safety first’ is one of the primary considerations of the ICC’s back-to-cricket guidelines and involving the governments at all stages is a must.

“The resumption of cricket activities should begin only if there is no perceived or known risk. If there is risk, it might result in an increase in the local transmission rate,” ICC said in its guidelines. While England remains one of the most affected countries, major cricket-playing nations such as India and Pakistan have seen a spike in the number of coronavirus positive cases in recent weeks. The world governing body of the sport added: “Every effort should be made to ensure that risks associated with the cricket environment -- field of play, training venue, changing rooms, equipment, management of the ball -- have been mitigated before any training session or match.”

Cricket, like other global sports, came to a screeching halt owing to the pandemic. Big-ticket events, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), were indefinitely postponed as the novel coronavirus got down

to spreading its ugly tentacles across the world.

And even though cricket is a non-contact sport, ICC is treading a cautious path, considering the risk the unprecedented health crisis

involves. Under the subhead government advice, the apex body guidelines stated, “ICC Members (and their own cricket communities) should be guided by the advice of their respective governments in relation to when sporting activity is resumed. “Where sporting activities has been expressly forbidden by governments, no cricket activity should commence until approval to do so has been obtained.” Government advice should also be sought in relation to “travel restrictions (domestic and international) and quarantine requirements”.

ICC has also called for the need to educate players and all other stakeholders on the updated safety protocols in what is going to be a vastly different world.

“Education should include preventative measures.” Sharing of equipment will become a thing of the past. It also stated that cricket must play a role in “supporting individuals to gain a sense of normalcy in their lives and carries with it important physical and mental health benefits”.