New ICC rules ‘might complicate the game’
PLAYERS SEEKS CLARITY AHEAD OF CRICKET RESUMPTION
SOME of the ICC guidelines on the resumption of cricket border on the impractical and will need a review when the cricketing world is closer to action, former players Aakash Chopra, Irfan Pathan and Monty Panesar said.
Last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recommended a host of “back to cricket” guidelines, including 14-day, pre-match isolation training camps in order to ensure the teams are free from Covid-19.
The world body issued training as well as playing guidelines which will drastically change the way the game is played.
Among them are regular hand sanitising when in contact with the ball; no bathroom or shower breaks while training; minimising time spent in the changing room before and after a game; no use of saliva to shine the ball; and no handing over of personal items (cap, sunglasses, towels) to fellow teammates or on-field umpires.
“Social distancing is very doable in individual sport, but very tough in a team sport like cricket and football. If you need slip [fielders, who stand close to each other] during the game, would you not employ that?” former India pace bowler Pathan said.
“If the team is going through a 14-day quarantine and is being tested for Covid-19, I am fine with that process. After that, if we have more guidelines for players during the game, then you are making things complicated. Then there is no point of a quarantine period,” he added.
“Safety is paramount, but we should not make the game complicated. If a bowler or fielder has to sanitise hands every time he touches the ball, then it would be very difficult.
“You can shorten the process of giving the ball to the bowler. Instead of the usual chain (wicket-keeper to cover fielder to bowler), the keeper can straight away throw the ball to the bowler, but even then the bowler will have to sanitise hands six times in an over,” said Pathan, who is seeking more clarity on the new guidelines.
Former India opener Chopra said it was still too premature to prepare fixed guidelines as the situation is evolving “every day”.
“That (regular hand sanitisation after contact with ball) is obviously impractical, but my big question is when the game happens in a bio-secure environment and everyone is quarantined and tested, do these additional measures make a difference?
“On the field, I can still understand but what happens when you go back to the dressing room? How do you practice social distancing there? So it becomes quite complicated.
“To be honest, it is all very premature. Once they get closer to resumption, which will take some time, there will be more clarity,” said Chopra.
International cricket is likely to resume in July at the earliest, with England planning to host the West Indies and then Pakistan.
Former England spinner Panesar foresees the start of the England-West Indies series making things a lot clearer for the cricketing fraternity.
“The 14 day quarantine is much needed and well done to the ICC for including that. I think we will see resumption of international cricket with England hosting West Indies in July. We might have some practical ideas then, the other countries would also be watching keenly and will learn how to go about it.
“But measures like regular hand sanitising are not going to be practical. Maybe you could sanitise every hour, but it can’t be done every time during the game,” said Panesar.
While Pathan felt the on-field safety measures will make managing overrates a bigger challenge for teams, Chopra believed no bathroom or shower breaks during training would be a little bit of an issue.
“Training is still controllable. You don’t have to be there for
a long time but you would still use the restroom at some stage. You may avoid taking a shower but you will have to use the restroom,” Chopra said. “I think the idea of these guidelines are to make cricketers more aware that you have to take care of yourself and inculcate habits which are in everyone’s interest in the current scenario.”