Coronavirus??has cast an ugly shadow and the fear is rising among people. Those in charge of managing cricket in India are aware as well. But, the?IPL, which begins on March 29, has no contingency in place to combat the virus. The BCCI is yet to take any steps in the matter.
Let's not deny it, we are afraid and those taking part in the IPL and watching the matches are only human and certainly not immune to the disease. So yes, there is going to be an impact on the tournament.
Several overseas players, umpires and match referees, commentators and international media and those who help with managing stuff add up to around 150 people. All of them shall be arriving before the competition begins.?
So far, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has maintained that the tournament will go on as planned. With the money involved, it will not be easy to cancel the tournament. Franchisee money, players' wages, broadcast money - all is at stake. It will be a catastrophe if IPL season 13 was scrapped.?
Even if there is no outbreak, the fear of the disease shall be there at the back of the players' minds and those who are involved in the game. It does cast a gloom over the proceedings.??
Well, the contingency plan if any, would be to have the matches behind closed doors. That, however, would mean no match revenue and games in front of empty stadiums. It wouldn't be an IPL without fans.?
The vociferous sell out crowds have been the hallmark of all IPL seasons and having empty seats would take the sheen out of the tournament. The organisers would not want that, they know how much they stand to lose - billions of rupees.
So what's the solution? Just have faith that measures are taken if there is an outbreak. The players need to concentrate on their game and the fans need to enjoy the cricket.