End-March ICC Board meetings to be held via conference call to mitigate risk of COVID-19

In a significant development on Thursday, the International Cricket Council has decided to hold its end-March Board meetings via conference call only. This precaution has been taken to mitigate the risks posed by the novel Coronavirus pandemic. As per the press release, the member countries had raised concerns about COVID-19. Originally, the meetings were scheduled to be held in Dubai.  

Earlier in the day, the BCCI announced that the last two ODIs of the series against South Africa would be played in front of empty stadiums to curb the spread of the virus. Moreover, the fate of the IPL remains uncertain and will be decided at the league’s Governor Council meeting in Mumbai on March 14. As per PTI sources, the Centre’s decision to ban foreign visas barring for few categories such as diplomatic and employment till April 15 has put the availability of foreign players for the initial stages of IPL in serious doubt.