Coronavirus pandemic: Ian Chappell claims crowds don't matter in sportsmen's performances

Due to the rising worldwide panic caused by the highly-contagious Coronavirus, several cricketing bilateral contests are being either played indoors, postponed or cancelled altogether until further notice. The opening ODI of the three-match series between Australia and New Zealand was recently played at an empty Sydney Cricket Ground. However, the series got postponed after the first match itself due to a mutual decision taken by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket Board.

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Coronavirus Pandemic: Ian Chappell backs matches in empty stadiums

Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes the matches can still be organised in empty stadiums. While speaking with an online sports portal, Ian Chappell said that he does not believe players need a crowd to be “spurred on” as an athlete. He added that it’s the thrill that comes with a close contest that gets the “juices flowing”.

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Coronavirus Pandemic: Australia vs New Zealand result

In the first ODI, Australian captain Aaron Finch won the toss and decided to bat first. Riding on crucial half-centuries from David Warner, Aaron Finch and Marnus Labuschagne, the home side posted a competitive 258-7 from their 50 overs. In response, New Zealand could muster only 187 to fall 71 runs short of their target.

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Coronavirus Pandemic: Impact on IPL 2020

Apart from impacting several bilateral contests, the Coronavirus pandemic also caused a delay in the launch of the much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) season. IPL 2020 was originally scheduled to start on March 29 with a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. As per the decision taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), IPL 2020 is now scheduled to commence on April 15.

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