No plans yet to remove players from India
SOUTH African players at the Indian Premier League must make a decision for themselves about whether they want to continue playing in the tournament.
Yesterday the IPL’s bio-secure bubble was breached when players and officials from two teams tested positive for Covid-19.
The pandemic has ravaged India in recent weeks, with 368 000 new cases reported yesterday – the 12th day in a row in which the country has reported more than 300 000 on a day.
The Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings had players and staff return positive tests for the virus, leading to the postponement of a match involving the Knight Riders yesterday, while the Super Kings’ match later this week in New Delhi is also in doubt after ground staff at the Feroz Kotla stadium, which is hosting matches, also tested positive.
The IPL, a multi-billion dollar event, has carried on despite soaring cases of Covid-19 in India.
Cricket SA has kept in touch with the 11 SA players participating in the IPL.
“We’ve offered support to the players and made ourselves available to them should there be any concerns,” said CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith.
“Ultimately, it is in their hands to make a choice (about their continued participation.)”
The SA Cricketers’ Association has also been in touch with the players who last week said that while they were concerned, they still felt comfortable and confident about the bio-bubble that had been created for the tournament.
The Saca will also be touching base with the players in the next day or two.
There are no SA players in the Knight Riders side, but Faf du Plessis, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir all play for the Super Kings, who had three staff members, including bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji, test positive.
As part of new protocols following the positive returns, testing in the bubble is being ramped up, according to reports in India.
The IPL’s bio-bubble has come in for criticism from social commentators in India, who, citing the devastation wrought by the virus especially in the last few weeks, have questioned the tournament continuing to take place.
Special arrangements are made for teams when they travel through airports in India, and despite high demand for medical supplies, teams have access to ambulances and special facilities at private hospitals.
While the bubbles have been strictly monitored, the cases involving the Knight Riders players – one of whom had to go to hospital for a shoulder scan, which is where it is suspected he may have picked up the virus – shows that despite strict protocols, no bio-bubble is 100% secure.