BCCI ‘not ready yet’ to send Women’s team after ECB look at Derby as bio-secure venue
A senior BCCI official has revealed that the board is contemplating not to send the women’s team to England for the tri-series involving England and South Africa. Meanwhile, SportsCafe has learnt that the ECB has finalised Derbyshire as the venue for the tri-series with bio-secure facilities.
The Indian Women’s team were supposed to travel to the UK in June for a tri-series involving England and South Africa, but the Covid-19 situation put a halt to their plans. Although the curve is yet to flatten in any of three countries, the fact that England had on-site hotels at many venues made the ECB plan for a biosecure closed-door series in September, just after the conclusion of the Pakistan series.
However, a BCCI official has informed SportsCafe that the board might have to work against the idea, although the ECB had put in a formal word to them. The logistical challenge of assembling everyone at one venue in India and then flying them out to the UK would be a mare considering the situation, which, as revealed by the official, made the BCCI look for the pull-out.
“The board has surely thought about it. However, it is not time to make any decision in a hurry. The Indian Premier League is the first priority and the subsequent contingency plans for women’s and domestic events can be planned accordingly,” the official told SportsCafe.
Meanwhile, SportsCafe also learnt that Durham and Edgbaston, which despite not having any on-site hotels, were the initial front-runners for the tri-series due to their excellent facilities to accommodate to the needs of the medical department, but Derby’s County Ground has since been all but confirmed for the series. However, India’s stand on the series might create a problem for the ECB’s broadcast commitments who will need to look into a possible alternative for the series.