After the Sports Ministry advised that any sporting event in India should be conducted without any public gathering, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday confirmed that the second and third ODIs between India and South Africa will be played behind closed doors.
The second ODI is slated to be played at the Ekana stadium in Lucknow on Sunday whereas the third one will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 18. However, the stadiums will now have empty stands during the match.
Notably, the first ODI between the sides in Dharamsala, which got washed out due to rain on Thursday, witnessed low amount of spectators in the wake of the novel coronavirus.
“After holding discussions with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the BCCI on Thursday announced that the remaining two ODIs of the three-match series of South Africa’s tour of India will be played without any public gathering, including spectators,” the board said in a statement.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday assessed that Covid-19 can be characterised as a pandemic. The BCCI is making every effort for compliance with the regulatory bodies of the Government of India and ensure the safety of our athletes and valued fans. The BCCI will continue to take guidance from the Government of India and state regulatory bodies,” it added.