Published 12:21 IST, May 16th 2020
BCCI open for Sri Lanka tour in July 'subject to government guidelines': Report
The BCCI are ready to allow the Indian team to tour Sri Lanka for a six-match closed-door bilateral series as long as the players' health isn't compromised.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are open to touring Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series in July behind closed doors. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) offered to host India for a 6-match tour (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) in July amidst the coronavirus restrictions with the matches to take place behind closed doors. The Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI is still awaiting government directives to schedule an outdoor skills camp for the Team India stars amidst the India lockdown and would require permission to resume international travel.
India lockdown: BCCI open to Team India touring Sri Lanka in July
Speaking to Hindustan Times, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said that the Indian cricket board is welcoming the possibility of a Sri Lanka tour on a top condition that the union government allows them to travel for the same. The Indian cricket stars are currently confined to their homes amidst the India lockdown and have been limited to fitness drills, with the IPL 2020 also postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dhumal added that the BCCI are ready to travel to Sri Lanka despite the India lockdown if it doesn't compromise on the health and safety of the team. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) are currently without media rights holders and is looking to attract broadcasters, making an India tour their best option at the moment.
Earlier, the SLC had also offered the BCCI to the host the postponed IPL 2020, amidst the India lockdown. Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Mohan de Silva had said that any decision of the 'Island Nation' hosting the tournament will be taken after the Sri Lanka lockdown ceases on May 11 and will face competition from the UAE if the cash-rich tournament does move abroad. Given the India lockdown and the series timeline, it is unlikely that the bilateral series can be pulled off due to logistics becoming a nightmare to pull off at such a short notice. But the SLC would be hoping to land the IPL in Sri Lanka if the tournament is postponed to September.
The Indian team last played a cricket match on tjheir disappointing tour of New Zealand where they lost the Test and ODI series after clinching the T20I series. The South Africa tour of India was called off midway, while the IPL 2020 following the tour, also stands indefinitely suspended. India's entire 2020 calendar hangs in the balance with tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe scheduled in July-August, before England's tour of India. The future of the Asia Cup 2020 and the T20 World Cup along with India's tour of Australia also remains undecided.
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12:21 IST, May 16th 2020