2020/21 Indian Domestic Season to be a curtailed one

The 2020/21 Indian domestic season is set to be a curtailed version amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Sunday released a 100 page long Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the upcoming domestic season.

Keeping the health and safety of players, staff and stakeholders a priority, the BCCI has issued its guidelines. According to the SOP, players will have to sign a letter of consent before beginning their training at their respective training centres.

"The health and safety of players, staff and stakeholders will be the sole responsibility of respective State Cricket Associations," read the BCCI guidelines on resumption of cricket.

The SOP also states that individuals of the respective teams over 60 years of age and with a history of any underlying medical problems will be excluded from participating in the campaign. Two tests will be conducted to check whether the players and staff members have come in contact with the virus and only if the results come back negative, will they be allowed to join the camp.

"Two tests one day apart (Day 1 & Day 3) should be done to account for false negatives. If both the test results are negative, only then they should be included in the camp," read the SOPs.

"A webinar before commencement and in-person education workshop on Day 1 of the camp must be conducted by the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) for all players & staff..."

A workshop will be of complete importance as it tends to educate on the dos and donts during the training camp. Maintaining social distance norms, reporting symptoms and sanitization right now is very essential. It is also worth noting that the release made it clear to everyone concerned that they wear N-95 masks when they travel to matches or training centres.