DHAKA, June 1, 2020 (BSS)- Local cricketers are eagerly waiting to get back to the ground with a fear that a delay of one or two months more could see the permanent suspension of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), the only earning source for the most of the cricketers of the country.
As the Government lifted unofficial shutdown and permitted to reopen the offices, strictly following the health rules, most of the cricketers believe that cricket can also resumed by following the same guidelines.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) postponed the cricketing activities of the country for indefinitely after the outbreak of coronavirus in mid March. Before then, only one round of the DPL was held.
If the DPL is not resumed by August, there is possibility that a season of the country’s most coveted tournament could be suspended for this year.
“The BCB can say better whether it is good to restart the cricket soon,” national fast bowler Abu Jayed Rahi told the BSS.
“The health guidelines should be followed strictly. I don’t know whether the situation is in favour to restart cricket but as a cricketer I want cricket to resume as early as possible,” he added.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled some guidelines and plans as to how a country should resume cricket.
But the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said they would wait and see how much the situation improves. The cricket apex body is in fact in favour to take times before restarting the cricket as they don’t want to take risk.
“The cricket should be resumed,” argued opener Imrul Kayes, who is playing for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in DPL.
“The life will go on and it will not stop due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. For the sake of the cricketers, the cricket should get back to the ground. Because we have the family and the DPL is the earning source for the most of the cricketers,” he said, adding that the fans hardly enter into the stadium during DPL
“So it’s an advantage that the people won’t come to the ground and there won’t be any mass gathering. I think we should follow the health guidelines and be careful for our own safety.”
National fast bowler Rubel Hossain urged BCB to set guidelines to resume the cricket as quickly as possible.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) itself said that the coronavirus will not go away very soon and we have to live life with that. The government also reopened everything by following health rules. So I will urge BCB to set a guideline for us and restart cricket,” he remarked.
Middle order batsman Mohammad Mithun said the cricketers hardly contact each other in cricket field apart from celebrating any wicket.
“In cricket, apart from celebrating, we don’t come any contact. Moreover the ICC and BCB also have some health guidelines which could show us the way. If we can follow everything, there is no problem to resume cricket,” Mithun said.