While the IPL heads out of India into the West Asian nation in the Arabian desert for the second time since 2014 , the corona virus pandemic very much poses a major threat to various aspects of staging the tournament and hence the organizers and the franchises are leaving no stone unturned to safeguard the health of the players who are set to compete in the thirteenth edition of the league.
In wake of the IPL 2020 being held amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the UAE, The BCCI has doled out a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all the eight franchises and made it crystal clear that all social distancing norms shall need to be adhered with strictly by the players, their families and the support staff during the course of the tournament..
The SOP enlists thorough Covid Tests for all players both before assembling and flying out to the UAE and also regular testing through the tournament ..The BCCI has also harped on the importance of players staying put in bio-secure bubbles (unless certain specific emergencies) and any breach of the same shall evoke strict punishment.Besides, there are certain specific guidelines which the families of players accompanying them to the UAE need to follow in terms of travel and their stay during the course of the league.
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ABP News is in possession of the 16-page SOP document sent by the BCCI to all the franchise teams pertaining to the medical and safety guidelines which need to be followed by the players and the support staff of the 8 teams during the course of the IPL
Here are the key takeaways of the Standard Operating Procedure handed over by BCCI to all the franchises
1. Players can only go outside the Bio secure bubble in case of medical emergencies. For example during a practice session or during the match if they get injured , they can move outside the bio secure bubble with the permission of the team management.
2. A breach of bio secure environment protocols by players and team support staffs will be punishable under the IPL Code of Conduct rules .
3. All franchise teams should employ a team doctor who will be responsible for ensuring that bio secure environment medical guidelines are implemented .
4. Franchise teams should obtain complete medical and travel history of the cricketers and supports staffs (since March 1 ) and update their database at least two weeks ahead of their departure to Dubai . Cricketers are asked to fill up an online form to provide all such information.
5. The teams will travel to Arab Emirates in chartered flights and social distancing rule has to be followed even inside the flight .
6. Cricketers and other team members of each franchise team have been asked to wear triple layered masks all the time inside the team hotel and while they travel to the venues for practice and for the match .
7. Team members of the franchise teams can only board the flight to Dubai if their corona test report comes negative 96 hours prior to the date of departure. On arrival at the Dubai airport the cricketers will be tested again . On day 1 , 3 and 6 after arrival at the team hotel , the cricketers will be tested thrice and only if all three reports come negative they will be allowed to meet other cricketers and can join the practice sessions .
8. There will be separate central air conditioning system at the area where the cricketers will stay .
9. Inside the stadium at the dressing room, a device named Scalene Hypercharge Corona Canon or shycocan will be installed . This device has an ability to neutralise 99.9 percent of the corona virus that might be floating in the air in closed spaces .
10. No handshakes during toss and post match .
11. Players will only use named drink bottles and towels to avoid sharing .
12. Cricketers will only sit on the window seat inside the team bus while travelling to the venues for a practice session or a match .
13. Use of swimming pool has been prohibited both at the hotels and practice venues .