BCCI planning to relax bio-bubble restrictions in domestic tournaments

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to do away with the bio-bubble restrictions for two domestic tournaments. Reportedly, the Indian board may not implement the strict guidelines for two upcoming events - the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy knockouts and the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, as per a Times of India report. Both tournaments will kickstart on April 18, and teams are expected to reach the venues by April 15. 

The bio-bubbles have been an integral part of cricket since the beginning of the pandemic. However, with the improved situation, the board has other plans. There is no mandatory quarantine period for the teams, and they can start practice sessions from the next day after reaching the venue. 

"When the IPL schedule was drawn, the third wave was still on the wane. The board didn't want to take any chances with a multi-city tournament. There's a lot at stake. These two domestic tournaments could be a good reference to where we stand when it comes to dealing with the virus. One may expect that the three-team Women's T20 Challenge during the IPL may also see the bubbles relaxing for the players," a source was quoted saying.

However, the BCCI has encouraged Covid-appropriate behaviour from the teams participating. The players will be kept in a specific part of the hotel, and they have been told not to meet anyone who is not part of the competition. 

The venues have been restricted to decrease the risk factor. One may expect the teams to have a squad of 15 players along with the standbys instead of 18.

Recently, the International Cricket Council also opened up on their post-pandemic plans. However, the bio-bubble remains a reality in major tournaments as of now. 

In January, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice told TOI, "At this stage, it's difficult to get a standard protocol. It depends on the host countries and the governments. They have different definitions for close contacts. It's taking a toll on players and officials. However, over time it has relaxed with certain countries pragmatically adopting living-with-the-virus."