In his first official communication to affiliates of the BCCI since the COVID-19 outbreak, president Sourav Ganguly assured the State associations of staging the IPL and preparing for the next domestic season with a new set of standard operating procedures (SOPs). But the letter has evoked a mixed response from the State associations.

Ganguly’s mail, accessed by The Hindu, stated: “The BCCI is working on all possible options to ensure that we are able to stage the IPL this year, even if it means playing the tournament in empty stadiums.”

Ganguly also informed the affiliates that the BCCI has been “working on various formats and options” for domestic cricket. “The BCCI will come up with more details over the next couple of weeks,” he said, adding that the BCCI is “in the process” of preparing SOPs for State associations on resuming cricket in the wake of the pandemic.

Saurashtra Cricket Association secretary Himanshu Shah welcomed the communication. “It’s heartening to see the BCCI president reaching out to all the associations and briefing us about its plans. Hopefully, we shall have more clarity about the next season soon,” Shah told The Hindu.

However, not all State associations are happy with the mail. “There’s absolutely nothing new or concrete in it. If at all such a mail had to be sent, it should have been four weeks earlier. It’s high time some concrete steps are announced about the domestic season,” said the secretary of an association from the south.