IPL should be played behind closed doors, says Gavaskar
Former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and VVS Laxman opened up about the possibility of staging the upcoming IPL edition in front of empty stands, amid coronavirus outburst. The comments came when India's cash-rich league is dealing with suspension scare. As per the announcement made by India's Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju, the IPL will take place without spectators' presence.
Gavaskar cites example of the 1999 Indo-Pak game
"There is one example of an India-Pakistan match played in front of empty stands where there was unrest in the crowd. I think the game was stopped on that particular day but the next day it was continued in front of empty stands," Gavaskar said.
IPL Governing Council to meet franchises on Saturday
The IPL Governing Council will meet all the franchises on March 14 to decide the fate of the league. IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed that a decision will be taken soon with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) monitoring the situation in India. "We are monitoring the situation and will have an update once a decision is taken," Patel had stated.
Better to schedule the tournament without spectators: VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman also advocated for scheduling the IPL matches behind closed doors. "As cricketers, you want to play in front of a large crowd but eventually, if it is risky then we are better of playing in empty stands, making sure everyone's well being is taken care of," Laxman said. He added, "The people sitting in their drawing rooms can enjoy the live-action."
The ongoing ODI series will be played with empty stands
The ongoing ODI series between India and South Africa is set to be played behind closed doors. "Government has issued advisory on sporting events and we have to follow them. We will follow the advisory for the second and third ODI," the BCCI source said. While the Daramsala ODI was washed out, the following two ODIs will be played in Lucknow and Kolkata.
