Rahul Dravid likely to head COVID task force for the resumption of training in India

The BCCI is working towards forming a COVID task force likely to be headed by Rahul Dravid. Dravid, who had in an interview recently had expressed concerns over the possible lack of domestic cricket in the country in the wake of the pandemic, is also the Head of National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. The SOP sent by BCCI to all its state associations contains a roadmap for the resumption of domestic cricket in India. 

The task force is expected to comprise of a medical officer, a hygiene officer, and BCCI’s AGM for cricket operations apart from Dravid. Their key responsibilities shall be to communicate ”clearly and regularly with the players, explaining measures being taken to manage risk, and the advice being given to individuals to follow the same and update of COVID19 cases to relevant higher management”.

According to the SOP, ”All the Players and staff including administrative staff of NCA shall be tested for COVID-19 (RT-PCR test) to detect the possibility of COVID 19 infection before the resumption of training.”

The players will also have to sign a consent form acknowledging the risks involved in resuming training, apart from an undertaking to adhere to the rules as prescribed in the SOP which is subject to changes as per the local government norms. "Prior to the commencement of National Cricket Academy, the players shall submit a written undertaking to abide by all the protocols prescribed in this SOP and various Government orders issued from time to time in the context of COVID19 prevention,” read the SOP.

The medical team shall look into the travel and medical history of all players and staff from the past 2 weeks via an online questionnaire. Any player and staff suspected to have COVID-19-like symptoms will be subjected to PCR tests. “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," according to the SOP.

The players will have to wear N95 masks on their way to the venue for training. The players will also be encouraged to arrange their own transport to and from the venue. There will be no scope for spectators or visitors to enter the stadium. 

The resumption of training will happen in a phased manner. "Resumption of training will happen in a phased manner with progression from outdoor training activities to indoor training over the next few weeks as permitted by local health authorities," the SOP added.

[PTI inputs]