With the England and Australia players already being part of a bio-secure bubble during their limited-overs series in the United Kingdom in September, they could participate in the upcoming Indian T20 League 2020 without needing to undergo quarantine upon arrival in the UAE, said Indian T20 League team Bangalore chairman Sanjeev Churiwala during a virtual conference.
As will be standard protocol for the series, every squad member will be undergoing a mandatory seven-day quarantine in the team hotel upon arrival in the UAE. During this period, tests will be carried out on each person on Days 1, 3 and 6 and only following negative results for those tests can the squad commence training.
Churiwala's squad recently acquired Aaron Finch to captain their side and he will be reaching the UAE on September 17, a day after the third and final ODI between England and Australia in Manchester, and two days before the Indian T20 League gets underway on September 19. Along with Finch, Bangalore's squad also includes Kane Richardson, Moeen Ali and Joshua Phillipe, all of whom will be participating in the England vs Australia limited-series.
As long as players and supporting staff don't leave their bubble during the course of their emigration from the UK and carry a negative result from a test conducted no more than 96 hours prior to arrival in the UAE, the rules could be relaxed.
Churiwala said that his team's guidelines will run parallel to the BCCI's own SOP. The squad will be put up in an entire wing of one of the top hotels in Dubai, with access to gyms as well as restaurants and conference rooms.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Theo Karanikos
