Cricket in a bio-secure bubble is the ‘new normal’
Eight months into the pandemic,
Sri Lanka is on the verge of resuming international cricket in October when they host Bangladesh in a three-match Test series. With a bio-secure environment introduced to safeguard the health of cricketers and officials, however, it will be a new experience for everyone.
Having contained the pandemic relatively well, health authorities have given the green light for the resumption of some competitions – mostly behind closed doors and without fans, in a sterile sporting environment.
The ‘new normal’ will last till a vaccine is found, maybe even after. In a bio-secure bubble everyone engaged in a sport, including the players, the support staff and match officials, will not be exposed to the outside world to minimise the risk of contracting the infection. The players will not be permitted to visit their families or entertain visitors for the duration of the match.
High-fives and handshake are a thing of the past. Experts have advised the use of fist bumps. There can be no saliva to shine the ball, a decades-old practice that will likely go extinct, even if the pandemic gets under control.
“It will never be the same,” responded Prof. Arjuna de Silva, the head of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Medical Advisory Panel about the COVID-19 impact on sport. “COVID has changed so many things. Sports is no exception. Everything will have to be done in a bio-secure environment.”
“It will be tough for them to adjust but there’s little option,” Prof. de Silva said.
“This is the new normal until there’s a vaccine. Everything from training to how they play the game in the middle, how they spend their time away from cricket, how they approach fans, how they interact with family and friends will change.”
The West Indies tour of England was the first international cricket series to be successfully played after the outbreak. No one is reported to have tested positive during the course of the series as strict guidelines were adhered to. Everyone had to stay in the bio-secure environment. Those who left, like Jofra Archer, were subjected to strict quarantine. Sri Lanka will follow a similar protocol when the Bangladesh series hopefully gets underway in October.
“We need to explain to the players why all these restrictions are in place,” Prof. de Silva said. “If you are healthy, the chance of catching the infection is less. It isn’t them that are actually in danger but their loved ones. They need to understand that. It’s tough but that’s how life is going to be.”
In a recent interview this week, national skipper Dimuth Karunaratne explained the pains of not playing for an extended period: “I feel as if that I have lost a large portion of my career.” At 32, he had been playing well, not only as an opener but as a leader. Losing nearly eight months of cricket is a significant chunk.
“This is the downside,” the professor said. “They might not have the killer instinct, returning after a long break. Some players will struggle to get back into the groove. They will have to deal with a lot more than before. So we need to support them. That’s why we have got the help of a psychologist.”
On the plus side, however, this will be a good opportunity for injured players to come back strongly to the side. This includes Angelo Mathews. “The extended break was a blessing in disguise for him to fully recover from whatever injuries he has had in the past,” he added.
If the tournament goes through, Sri Lanka will be the second country after England to resume international cricket. This will also be a consolation for cricketers who had been hoping for action in the middle since July, when the first residential training was hosted in a bio-secure environment.
| Lankan doctors propose UV-C box to sterilise cricket balls | |
| Two Sri Lankan doctors have proposed a use of a portable ultraviolet (UV) box to decontaminate the cricket ball in the event the ball goes out of the playing field to the crowds. Writing to Dr Peter Harcourt, Head, International Cricket Council (ICC) Medical Committee, Professors Arjuna de Silva and Madunil Niriella have asked the ICC to try this option as a solution for minimising cross-contamination during cricket matches in the post-COVID-19 era. “Although the ICC has very correctly banned the application of saliva on the cricket ball, it still can be contaminated by intentional or unintentional use of saliva. Another potential source of contamination could be when the ball goes out of the playing field into the crowds,” the letter to Dr Peter Harcourt reads. “In these circumstances, we propose the use of a portable ultraviolet (UV) box, which is already commercially available to sterilise the cricket ball. The box called UV–C is beneficial against viruses and bacteria, and since the ball is an inanimate object, it will be safe to use as well. The process should take about three minutes and will be within the ICC rules as well, given no disinfecting material is applied on to the cricket ball. I hope that the committee will look at this option as a solution for minimising cross-contamination during cricket matches in the post-COVID-19 era,” it adds. The ICC is yet to respond to the proposal but Prof. De Silva said Sri Lanka could trial it during the home series against Bangladesh. The proposal as professor says will be effective but the process time could be a matter of concern specially in white-ball cricket where the ball sails to the crowd more often than not. |