NEW DELHI: India has called off their cricket tour of Zimbabwe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after their upcoming trip to Sri Lanka was also canceled.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that it would not “rush into any decision” about resuming training camps for India’s players.
After Sri Lanka’s board disclosed on 11 June that this month’s visit by India was postponed, the tour of Zimbabwe in August had also looked in jeopardy.
A statement issued Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said “The Indian cricket team will not travel to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe owing to the current threat of COVID-19 pandemic.”
India had been due to travel to Sri Lanka on June 24 for three ODIs and three Twenty20s, and then launch a three-ODI Zimbabwe tour on 22 August.
NEWS : The BCCI on Friday announced that the Indian Cricket Team will not travel to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe owing to the current threat of COVID-19.
More details here – https://t.co/W0zQXwh98x pic.twitter.com/vDLtmCpYfg
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 12, 2020
The statement further said BCCI is hoping to squeeze in the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, on hold since March, before the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place in October and November.
India’s next trip is a major, money-spinning tour of Australia for three ODIs, four Tests and three T20s starting in October, it added.
Although India’s government has allowed stadiums to reopen during the national COVID-19 lockdown, the BCCI said it was not about to resume training.
“The BCCI will conduct a camp for its contracted players only when it is completely safe to train outdoors,” said BCCI.
“The BCCI is determined to take measures towards the resumption of international and domestic cricket; however, it will not rush into any decision that will jeopardize the efforts put in by the central and state governments.”
India’s health officials have been reported more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases every day, with the total death toll standing at about 8,500 in the country.
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