India vs England: BCCI mulling allowing fans at Motera and Pune for England series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering getting fans back to the stands at the stadiums in Ahmedabad and Pune. Last month, the board had reached out to Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) to allow 50% of the crowd capacity for the first two Tests against England. But, TNCA didn't want to take a chance and turned down the recommendation. 

Speaking to Times of India, a source close to the development said that the BCCI is optimistic of getting fans for the last two Tests, five T20Is, and three ODIs at the Motera and Pune respectively. 

"The board has been in talks with the two concerned associations. It is very likely that these venues will see cricket being played with fans in the stands once all the clearances from the health authorities are attained." - A BCCI official was quoted as saying by TOI. 

The fully revamped Motera Stadium is the world's largest cricket stadium in terms of seating capacity. With a seating capacity of 1 lakh, the board may allow only 25000-30000 spectators for the matches. India and England have reached Chennai and will undergo five days of quarantine before they hit the ground running. After completing the quarantine norms, the teams will get to train three days ahead of the first Test, which will begin on February 5.