Cricket fans breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the resumption of the captivating game at the international arena. England and West Indies have started their three-match Test series from July 08 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. However, the admirers are still not allowed to cheer their favourite players in the stadium, but at least they can watch them on their television sets.
Adding to the joy of fans, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 is now all set to become the first significant cricket league to begin amid the coronavirus pandemic. As per the organizers of the tournament, CPL 2020 is going to take place in Trinidad and Tobago. The exciting league will kick-off from August 18.
The best thing for fans is that CPL will have a full season. It will also feature overseas and Caribbean players. According to the reports, the likes of Rashid Khan, Chris Lynn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Alex Hales and Kieron Pollard are all ready to take part in the 2020 edition of CPL.
“The CPL have worked with the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health and the CPL’s own board of medical advisors to create protocols which minimize the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus to the population of Trinidad and in amongst those who will be travelling to Trinidad & Tobago from overseas,” the organizers said in a statement as quoted by the official CPL website.
“All teams and officials will be housed in one hotel, and everyone will be subject to strict quarantine protocols for the first two weeks they are in the country. Everyone travelling from overseas will be tested for COVID-19, before departure and then again on arrival in Trinidad,” it added.
As per CPLT20 website, the last season they had a combined broadcast and digital viewership of 312 million. Now it is expected to rise more as the tournament is the first franchise T20 event to take place in several months after COVID-19 outbreak. The upcoming season will end on September 10.
When it comes to quarantine protocols, then teams and officials will be put into “households” where social distancing will take place. Also, there will be smaller clusters within each household where these procedures can be relaxed.
However, if any member of this cluster shows signs of COVID-19 at any time during the tournament, all members of that cluster will be expected to self-isolate for 14 days. Apart from this, all members associated with CPL will be subject to regular temperature checks and other tests throughout their stay in Trinidad.
“We would like to express our gratitude and thanks to The Hon. Dr Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, The Hon. Shamfa Cudjoe, Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs, The Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister for Health, Dr Roshan Parasram, Chief Medical Officer for Trinidad & Tobago, Douglas Camacho, Chairman of Sport TT and their respective ministries and organizations for their support and guidance in making this all possible,” said Pete Russell, COO of Hero CPL.
“We are really excited to bring high-class cricket to the Caribbean and to the rest of the world. The standard of players involved in this year’s tournament will be higher than ever, and we can’t wait to get the tournament underway,” he added.
