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The Indian Premier League Governing Council and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unanimously decided to postpone the IPL 2021 season indefinitely.
The decision was announced after an emergency meeting on Tuesday in the wake of a surge in coronavirus infections in one of the world’s most populous countries.
India has been buckling under the strain of the latest wave of infections with up to 300 000 new cases and 3000 fatalities been reported daily in recent weeks.
The BCCI said in a statement that it does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL.
It said this decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.
The BCCI said these are difficult times, especially in India and while they’ve tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.
Tournament organisers have been criticised in recent days for pressing ahead with the glamour T20 event in front of empty stadiums while Covid-19 runs rampant through the country.
The last straw would appear to have come on Monday when the IPL was forced into its first coronavirus postponement this season after two players tested positive despite the tournament's bio-secure "bubble".
The Kolkata Knight Riders' match against Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore was called off just hours before its start in Ahmedabad after Varun Chakaravarthy and Sandeep Warrier became infected.
Question marks now remain as to how South African players will be able to get home as there are currently no direct flights from India to South Africa.
Chris Morris of the Rajasthan Royals was the highest-paid cricketer at this year’s IPL, and in the tournament’s history for that matter, while AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings) and Quinton de Kock (Mumbai Indians) also have lucrative IPL contracts.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has assured the public that South Africa is on high alert for the B.1.617 Coronavirus variant, currently circulating in India.
Meanwhile, Cricket South Africa (CSA) says it supports the postponement of the 2021 IPL season due to COVID-19 safety reasons.
It says it also made contact with the relevant franchises to ensure the expedited travel of all South African players and support staff back to South Africa.
CSA says in a statement that those travelling back to South Africa will undergo home quarantine in line with the current World Health Organization recommendations.
CSA and the South African Cricketers Association (SACA) are in contact with all the players and have been assured of their safety and comfort in their respective locations.
