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Local Cricket League Thread
« on: February 03, 2021, 06:02:49 PM »
TTCB eager to resume domestic competition
JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH (T&T NEWSDAY).


The TT Cricket Board (TTCB) anticipates a swift return to the domestic season after over ten months of inactivity.

Administrators, clubs and cricketers initially thought they would be allowed to resume training and competition at the start of the new year.

But with a resurgence in global coronavirus cases and discovery of new covid19 variants, the Ministry of Health opted to delay the sport’s reopening.

To date, only national teams and athletes preparing for major international competition are allowed to use national sporting facilities.

Although TT successfully hosted the Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament in a bio-secure bubble smack in the middle of the pandemic last year and the West Indies (WI) currently on their third international tour, local enthusiasts eagerly await the green light from the health ministry.

Three months ago, the cricket board unveiled its annual schedule of regional and domestic events for the 2021 season in anticipation of a January restart.

However, since they were blanked by ministry officials, the previously scheduled January zonal tournament will now be held later down in the year.

TTCB president Azim Bassarath still believes domestic cricket should be given the go-ahead. The board has a clear outline of how players and staff will coordinate their respective training and competitive regimen.

According to him, the TTCB has been proactive in creating and implementing their required covid19 guidelines.

“We’re happy for the news that cricket should restart soon. We hope that, at least, the cricketers would be able to get back on the park and all the different programmes we have in place would be implemented.

“We’ve already gotten sponsors for a number of new tournaments and we’re waiting to unleash and give the youngsters the opportunity to play cricket so we can improve on the stock that would be available to WI cricket,” he said.

Bassarath thinks permission should be granted swiftly since cricket is not a contact sport. He also called on authorities to let good sense prevail since the TTCB has already formulated a feasible plan to ensure all players, staff and administrators adhere to its mandatory health regulations.

“We already have our dates and programmes set out for cricket so any resumption of cricket, the TTCB will appreciate that. We want that to happen. We think enough information has been sent out to the various stakeholders letting them know about the protocols that are involved. We have appealed to them to make sure they adhere to all protocols,” he added.

The postponed January zonal 50 0ver tournament was originally intended to serve as a pre-cursor for national team selection for the CG Insurance Super50 Cup squad. It was supposed to feature local cricketers from four zones – North, South, Central and East/Tobago.

He concluded, “We feel cricket is not so much of a contact sport and permission could be granted once everything is in place for the cricketers and officials observe the necessary protocols.”

In a press release issued by the TTCB, on Sunday, Bassarath said that the TTCB has been moving ahead with its plans to proceed as soon as the covid19 restrictions are lifted.

He has even written to the Ministry of Health requesting permission to get preparatory competitions for the TT Red Force to take place.

Bassarath remains optimistic that cricket will be played in the 2021 season but is urging the entire cricket community to exercise patience and responsibility in the interest of the sport and public health.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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