Salaam Cricket 2020: Madan Lal said it was important for cricket to resume and urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to start planning ahead with a view to restart the game by October or November.
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HIGHLIGHTS
- Bowlers will find it difficult in the beginning but we will have to be prepared for everything: Madan Lal
- Madan Lal said the England vs West Indies Test series will lay the foudation to how cricket is played
- It is a scary situation but cricket will have to restart: Lal
Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal said the Covid-19 pandemic is a scary situation in world cricket but added cricket needed to resume soon like a lot of other aspects of life.
After months of lockdown, India returned to work in certain sectors this month. Discussions are underway now to see whether the T20 World Cup will be held as scheduled in Australia. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has deferred the decision to next month while BCCI is keen on hosting the Indian Premier League in Setpember to October if things go well.
However, the Covid-19 cases in India are on the rise and it is not yet clear when Indian cricketers can resume playing. BCCI has already postponed tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe but England will play a Test series against the West Indies starting next month.
Madan Lal, who was India manager once and is now a respected expert, said there is no othr way but to resume cricket soon.
“It is a scary situation but cricket will have to restart,” Madan Lal said on Salaam Cricket 2020. “This is a billion-dollar industry and the stakes are very high.”
The ICC has introduced a slew of new measures to the game including banning the use of saliva to retain shine on the cricket ball.
“Bowlers will find it difficult in the beginning but we will have to be prepared for everything. Preparations need to begin now. Just like how people are coming out now after the lockdown, cricketers also need to get back on the field,” Madan Lal said.
Madan Lal said the England vs West Indies Test series will lay the foudation to how cricket is played in the times of a global pandemic.
“This series will pave the way for others series and tournaments to follow because we will get to know what precautions have to be followed. And it is very important for cricket to resume. By September-october the game should restart. The BCCI must also start planning on the resumption. In the stadiums also if it has a capacity of 40k then you can fit in 10k spectators maintaining social distance,” he said.
