Reports | New Zealand Cricket keeping players in loop about coronavirus threat

The deadly virus that is coronavirus is finally starting to have adverse effects on the world of sports, as a result of which sporting authorities around the world have resorted to taking preventive measures in order to stop its spread. Recently, Italy announced that all sporting events in the country till April will be played behind closed doors in order to avoid its spread and the England Cricket Board revealed that handshakes have been ditched in favour of fist bumps. Reports recently surfaced that the Olympics, too, could potentially be cancelled should the spread of the pandemic not stop over the course of the next few months.

However, one tournament that is set to go on irrespective of the imminent threat of the virus is the Indian Premier League (IPL), which the authorities confirmed will happen as per schedule. With players and staff from all over the world set to gather for the annual T20 extravaganza, there is fear that it might open the door for the virus to potentially spread. This has led to cricketing authorities being proactive in keeping the players in the loop about the disease and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have taken the first step in doing the same. 

Richard Boock, NZC Head of Public Affairs, has revealed that all New Zealand players around the world are being informed about the latest developments of the threat and are also being educated about the necessary preventive measures that need to be taken. 

“All New Zealand players, men and women, are being updated on latest developments, including best practice and preventive measures, as new information comes to hand," Richard Boock told PTI. 

The thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will commence from March 29.