The availability of England and Australia players for IPL 2020 was under a cloud for the last few days. Both teams are gearing up to face each other in three ODIs and three T20Is which begins on September 4 and ends on September 16. However, according to the BCCI bio-bubble protocol, there was a mandatory seven-day quarantine period for the players who were arriving to the UAE and they had indicated that they would not relax the protocol. This meant that England and Australia players would miss some games of the IPL. However, that situation has now been resolved apparently if statements by Rajasthan Royals COO (Chief Operating Officer) Jake Lush McCrum are to be believed.

Speaking to the media, McCrum said that the BCCI was planning to relax the quarantine protocol for the English and Australia players. “The BCCI protocols have actually been updated in the last few days and I`m pleased to say our English and Australian stars playing in the series pre IPL should be available for our first IPL match. Either way, we have a quality squad with the depth to manage any situation,” McCrum said.

Rajasthan Royals were set to lose out the most by the seven-day quarantine of the players, with the side having the most number of England and Australia players in their squad. Steve Smith is leading the franchise while there are several star players from England such as Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer in the team.

COVID taskforce in place

McCrum spoke about a COVID Task Force that has been set up by the franchise. "Suspected or positive cases will immediately be isolated from the team and the case will be managed by the team doctor in accordance with the IPL medical team. Contract tracing will begin immediately. The BCCI has put together a list of accredited hospitals that will be fully equipped to handle all such cases. All cases will however be treated as per set guidelines and protocols of the UAE government," McCrum said.

As per SOPs issued by the BCCI, the players have to undergo RT-PCR tests on Day 1, 3, and 6 of the quarantine phase and then they will be entering the bio-bubble provided they test negative on all three occasions.

"We have set up our own COVID-19 taskforce, which will act as a response team for all queries and any action to be taken during the tournament. This team is being led by Anuja Dalvi, the Indian female physio who has international experience in cricket and other sports, supported by team physiotherapist John Gloster and team doctor, Rob Young. They will be responsible for regular monitoring and medical assessment to ensure the safety of the entire team staying in the UAE," McCrum added.