IPL likely to be played in a bio-secure environment in the UAE

By K.R. Nayar

The IPL Governing Council will give the official notification to the Emirates Cricket Board naming them as hosts of the 13th edition of the league on Friday or Saturday. There is a possibility that the ECB could be asked to create a bio-secure environment in the stadium to protect players from the coronavirus. And the steps to be followed to ensure bio-security are many.

The Indian Premier League Governing Council. Picture courtesy: IPL

Dubai.  The Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE is likely to be played in a bio-secure environment. The IPL Governing Council is expected to request the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to create such an environment for the safety of the cricketers and support staff. According to information from India, the ECB will be officially notified of hosting the IPL on Friday or Saturday.

Brijesh Patel, Chairman of the IPL, is expected to inform the ECB on the decisions of the Governing Council meeting and all protocols to be followed during the event. Patel, while speaking to media on Sunday, has confirmed that the UAE will be the venue for the 13th edition of the IPL, while Mubashir Usmani, General Secretary of ECB, has stated that he is waiting for the official intimation.

The IPL Governing Council is likely to request for bio-security during the matches. Bio-security is a set of measures aimed at preventing the introduction and/or spread of harmful organisms in order to minimise the risk of transmission of infectious diseases to people caused by viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms.

Toss before the Royal Challengers vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2014 match in Dubai 

Should that request come from the IPL, then authorities here will need to make specific arrangements to bio-secure the ground, one of them being dividing the ground into designated zones. These zones will separate the two teams and match officials as well. There will be different zones for ground staff and the media, and hence certain norms will have to be followed during movement between zones, sometimes even strictly limited. In the ongoing England-West Indies series in England, players have been put up at hotels within the stadium premises. That will not be the case during the IPL since none of the three venues here have on-site hotels.

The IPL’s official intimation will include match timings, and that will mainly suit television viewers in India. The preferred start time is likely to be IST 7.30 pm, which means matches will start in the UAE at 6.00 pm. The final decision on the timings will be made in discussion with Star Sports, the only channel with telecast rights for the IPL. A decision on the schedule of the matches will also be taken and that will be followed by the allocation of matches to the three different venues in the UAE.

The ECB will soon be seeking permission from the UAE government to permit spectators into the stadium. Even if the stadiums would be made bio-secure, spectators queuing up to enter will need to follow the two-meter social distancing rule. Thermal screening will be mandatory for all entering the ground and hence there is a possibility of installing security cameras that will conduct thermal screening too.  Special training will have to be given to the cleaning staff to adhere to the requirements of keeping the environment bio-secure.

It is understood that IPL officials have studied how bio-security operations were carried out in the English Premier League and La Liga matches. Patel, talking to the media, was cautious when he remarked: “It is better to be safe than sorry.”