An official of the Emirates Cricket Board has said that there can be a possibility of fan attendance during IPL 2020.
The Emirates Cricket Board is exploring the possibility to entertain fans during the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, accoding to the board's general secretary Mubashshir Usmani. The franchises have begun to arrive in the UAE for the tournament and remain under a mandatory six-day quarantine period, as per the protocols.
Even as the cricket action around the world, including the Caribbean Premier League in the West Indies is being held without fans, the ECB have expressed the desire to allow spectators inside the stadium for IPL 2020. Bashir said that the board will "work closely" with the authorities to seek their approval on the same before contacting BCCI over their requirements.
"As hosts, Emirates Cricket Board will work closely with the authorities to seek approval on what protocols need to be followed," ECB General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani said in a conversation with Cricketnext.
"This includes fan attendance, we will then discuss with the BCCI to assess their spectator requirements. We want our Asian diaspora, as well as the other expat and Emirati sports-loving fans in the UAE to be able to watch the action from the stands."
While the BCCI has prepared an elaborated SOP for the conduct of players and staff during the tournament, the authorities in the UAE will also be providing the 'safety guidelines' in due course.
"The authorities will provide both us and the BCCI with the UAE safety guidelines in a timely manner which the teams and officials will follow. The SOP surrounding the arrangements are currently being prepared by these experts and once the authorities provide us with the finalized guidelines we can implement," said Usmani.
Ismani has also revealed that BCCI have 'made their decision' on the city-base for each franchise.
"The BCCI have made their decision as to the city-base for each team," he said. "We have three world-class stadia in Abu Dhabi, Dubai - which hold the record for the most T20I matches - and Sharjah - which hold the record for the most ODI matches - additionally Abu Dhabi and Dubai have 2 adjoining ovals. All three venues have access to world-class practice facilities where in Dubai the ICC Academy has the world’s most comprehensive practice facility."
