The International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2021 is set to begin in less than 15 days' time where stars from all over the globe will compete for the ultimate glory.
This edition—which was originally scheduled to be organized in India—will now be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of the coronavirus outbreak in the subcontinental country earlier this year which also impacted the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 edition.
The tournament will begin on October 17 with the qualifying round whereas the final will be played on November 14 in Dubai.
Since it is the first mega-event in the cricketing world since the coronavirus pandemic started back in January 2020, there have been measures in place to ensure that the competition will go ahead without any major problems.
We are highlighting some of the most prominent steps taken by the ICC relating to the health and safety of the players, officials and broadcasters.
Mandatory quarantine:
Quarantine is now a part and parcel of the life of people who are involved in organizing sporting events and this year's T20 World Cup will be no different. The ICC has stated that every individual taking part in the competition will have to go through mandatory quarantine before being allowed to join the group of people working for different departments. Teams will either have to go through quarantine before arriving in the UAE or they will have to come to the country and complete this requirement.
Extended squads:
Players testing positive for coronavirus is now a routine thing in the sports world. Considering that the tournament is being organized during a pandemic, the ICC has allowed teams to carry three reserve players with the 15-member squads. That step is taken to ensure that even if there is a COVID-19 case in a particular team, they will still have more than 11 players to select for the next match.
What happens if someone tested positive?
One question which is being asked over and over again is what is the procedure which will be followed if someone tested positive for COVID-19? In such a case, whether asymptomatic or not, that individual will have to go through a mandatory 10-day quarantine period before being considered to become a part of the squad again. That person's close contact will also have to go through a mandatory six-day quarantine period before being allowed to join the contingent again.
Biosecure bubble hospitals
In every sporting event, athletes suffer injuries—major or minor—for which they have to visit a hospital to either get some treatment or get the scans done. In order to ensure that the players are not exposed to the public outside the biosecure bubble, the authorities have designated hospitals where players will be allowed to visit in case of an injury. Going there will not be considered a breach.
No leniency over biosecure bubble breach
In order to ensure the safety of athletes, officials and broadcasters, ICC has stated that there will be no leniency for the individuals who will breach the biosecure bubble.
