The United Kingdom has led the way in bringing back cricket even as COVID-19 cases continue to surge around the world. The only test playing nation that has been able to have a full summer of international cricket, England’s model of providing a biosecure bubble is something that nations around the world are following.
Now, the largest T20 tournament in the world, the IPL is also planning to conduct a tournament away from its home country in the UAE by following most of the same principles. India is a country where the live score cricket is probably more closely followed there than the COVID-19 stats!
Proving what is possible
The United Kingdom has emerged as one of the leaders in the world when it comes to opening up the economy and getting back to a normal way of life. The number of cases and deaths was pretty troubling but the UK recognized a prolonged shutdown of the economy was causing an equal amount of harm.
The regular updates from the government, a number of economic incentives, and the freedom given to sports organizations to get their standard operating protocols in place have been an example for many other governments. There have been some obvious missteps from prominent politicians but that should not take away from the good work done.
The England Cricket Board has now hosted six test matches and will have played against four different nations in the next few weeks. All of this has been done without a single COVID-19 incident along the way.
A lot of the English players are going to be participating in the Indian Premier League as well after that and will be traveling to the UAE.
The Inventors of the Game Retake Leadership
As the original power which spread cricket around the world, it is somewhat symbolic that England is leading the way in what is perhaps the biggest challenge to the game in decades. England generates a lot of money from sponsorship and TV rights and alongside India and Australia is responsible for keeping the smaller countries afloat.
England won the Ashes last year, won the ODI World Cup for the first time in its history, and is now showing that it is also going to be an off-field example to follow.
