Ireland tour of Zimbabwe postponed amid COVID-19 scare
Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom has confirmed that their tour of Zimbabwe has been postponed amid the coronavirus outbreak. As per the chiefs, both boards are keen on rescheduling the tour, which included three each of T20Is and ODIs, once the pandemic had been brought under control.
Ireland and Zimbabwe have become the latest to join the list of postponed/cancelled international cricketing events amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Irish, who were scheduled to tour the African nation early next month to play three T20Is and three ODIs, has been postponed indefinitely after a thorough deliberation between the two boards.
"We have taken the advice of Irish and British governments, as well as relevant health and sports bodies, and will take a safety-first approach to our operations over the coming weeks and months. This is the only reasonable decision in the circumstances, as we all play our part in containing the spread of COVID-19,” Cricket Ireland's chief executive Warren Deutrom stated, reported Cricbuzz.
"Apart from the players and coaches, it is the families and social circles that we are conscious of, and to tour at this point would cause unnecessary risk to the wider community. We pass on our thanks to Givemore and all of Zimbabwe Cricket for so readily agreeing with this position, and we shall work with Zimbabwe Cricket to seek a new date for the tour when we are all in a position to plan for the future with greater certainty,” Deutrom added.
Unlike the circumstances in many other cases, Zimbabwe is yet to report any cases of COVID-19, nor has their government placed any travel restrictions on Irish citizens. Givemore Makoni, the Acting Managing Director of Zimbabwe Cricket, clarified that the decision was purely a precautionary measure.
"We were looking forward to hosting Ireland in Bulawayo next month, but with the world in the throes of a public health emergency on a scale not witnessed in over a century, postponing the tour was the only reasonable decision. We are looking to reschedule the tour once the pandemic has been brought under control," Makoni said.