IPL 2020: Australia And England Players Confirmed As Available For All The Fixtures

One of the most burning questions ahead of this year’s IPL is the timeline on the availability of English and Australian players. After RCB’s chairman announced that both countries’ players will likely make themselves available for all the IPL fixtures — Rajasthan Royals’ COO confirmed it. The cash-rich league this year will commence from the 19th of September.

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The reason over the speculation of Australia and England’s players’ timeline of availability is because both the teams will square off for three ODIs and as many T20Is from the 4th of September.

The rubber will continue till the 16th as the 21-man squad from Australia have flown to England. Twenty-nine players from England — and Australia have IPL commitments and travel to the UAE after the white-ball leg.

BCCI decides to bend quarantine protocols for Australia and England players:

Josh McCrum, Rajasthan Royals’ COO highlighted that the BCCI has bent its mandatory 7-day isolation period, which makes all of them available from the first match itself. It is because the athletes will be moving from one bio-secure bubble to the other. Josh McCrum confirmed the same to ANI.

“The BCCI protocols have actually been updated in the last few days and I’m pleased to say our English and Australian stars playing in the series pre IPL should be available for our first IPL match,” Josh McCrum said.

Contact tracing will begin immediately: Rajasthan Royals

McCrum added that suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases amid the tournament would be quarantined immediately as the team doctors will handle the situations in consultation with the IPL medical team. The BCCI has jotted down the list of hospitals, which are fully equipped to handle positive COVID-19 cases.

“Suspected or positive cases will immediately be isolated from the team [Covid Task Force of RR] and the case will be managed by the team doctor in accordance with the IPL medical team. Contact tracing will begin immediately. The BCCI has put together a list of accredited hospitals that will be fully equipped to handle all such cases,” McCrum added.

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