“If the IPL happens now, it would be a big danger because crowds will come to watch. Even if you restrict it to players, each team will have a minimum of about 15 players. There are team meetings, there is support staff, so about 30-40 people travel with each team. So it should not happen now. Strictly no,” the 2007 World T20 star added.
"Strictly No": Joginder Sharma Wants Halt On IPL Till Coronavirus Clears
By Samrat Singh
Published - 09 Apr 2020, 07:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:05 AM
Joginder Sharma was a national hero in 2007. He is playing an even bigger role at present as the deputy superintendent of police at the Hisar district in Haryana. Joginder Sharma begins duty at 6am and assures the people residing in the district do not face any trouble amid the growing novel coronavirus pandemic.
Joginder Sharma, by his own admission, has attended quite a few emergency calls in the crisis situation and he has been asked some common questions about the coronavirus pandemic time and again. In an interview with espncricinfo, Joginder Sharma, spoke in length about his responsibilities as a policeman, IPL 2020, staying away from family and serving the nation.
‘IPL 2020 should not happen until coronavirus clears’
Joginder Sharma did not mince words. In this situation, he hardly has cricket on his mind. He suggests the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 should not commence, until situation returns to normal. He also feels as the lucrative tournament attracts a larger crowd, it will put a lot of life in danger.
“Until the coronavirus is cleared, it should not happen. Once everything is back to normal, it should definitely happen,” Joginder Sharma told espncricinfo.
“Hardly. Most of my day I am busy with police work. Once I am home I need to keep track of the news and the data related to the coronavirus cases. I need to keep tabs on how many cases there are, the number of people who are in quarantine, if there is anyone sick among those in quarantine, and so on. I need to monitor and collate all this data and send it onward,” Joginder Sharma said.
Joginder Sharma, 36, made four appearances each in the ODIs and T20Is. His contribution in the T20 World Cup final will be cherished over the years. It was also the most valuable contribution he made in his brief career with the national team.
