BCB mulling to conduct players’ Covid-19 test

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has planned to conduct the Covid-19 test of the players as they began the process to bring cricket back on the ground.

The cricket apex body made it clear that they don't want to take any risk with the players' health issue as the deadly virus may cause mayhem.

"We are thinking to conduct Covid-19 test of the players," BCB Cricket Operations Committee chairman Akram Khan said here today.

"The concerned department is working on how the test will be conducted. We don't want to take a risk with the players' health issue since we know how dangerous this virus can be," he added.

As of today, Bangladesh reported 57563 cases from Covid-19 while the death toll reached 781.

The players though spent their time at their home comfort and did train as per BCB guidelines during the lockdown; the board thinks the test is still needed to be risk-free.

Moreover asymptomatic cases from Covid-19 has been already found, which is another thing to be worried about the board.

"For the sake of safety, it is imperative to conduct the test of the players. They will feel safe then," BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said.

Meanwhile, the process to disinfect the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium is going on at full swing. At the first phase, the BCB office is being disinfected. Later the ground, indoor, academy ground, gymnasium, cricketers' dressing room and the other infrastructure of BCB will be disinfected gradually.

BCB officials said it will take two weeks to complete all the procedure and make ready it for the players. The board has already taken the decision to start individual training, maintaining social distance once the BCB gets disinfected.

"At first there will be solo training and one player will get one hour to train. One cricketer will come and do train as per the guideline. He will be accompanied by a trainer, physio and supervisor. Apart from them, no one will be there. But they will maintain the social distance. Then another player will come and take part in a training session in the same way," said the BCB chief physician Dr Devashis Chowdhury.

"After some days, we'll start training with three players, maintaining the health guidelines. The ICC had also given a guideline, which we will follow," he added.