Domestic cricket will start as and when conditions permit: Ganguly to BCCI state units
New Delhi: BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has assured all state associations that domestic cricket will start as and when the situation is safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but did not specify the date from when the season will kick off.
Normally domestic season starts in August but the pandemic has wreaked havoc with the calender and Ganguly's letter to state associations on Thursday made it clear that the Board is yet to lock in a date.
The domestic season is now expected to begin with the Syed Musthaq Ali T20 tournament, tentatively from the third week of November.
"...the BCCI is making all efforts to ensure that domestic cricket resumes as and when the conditions permit. The health and safety of players and all other involved in domestic cricket is of utmost importance to BCCI and we are constantly monitoring all aspects," Ganguly wrote in the letter to presidents and secretaries of the its affiliated member associations.
"All members will be duly informed about the future course of action and suggestions will be taken before we resume domestic cricket."
He said the BCCI was hopeful that the Covid-19 situation will improve in the next few months and domestic cricket will be able to start in a safe environment.
The BCCI chief informed the members about India's commitments in the Future Tours Programme (FTP), including the scheduled tour of Australia later this year and playing host to England early 2021.
He said that India is set to host the T20 World Cup next year and the ODI World Cup in 2023.
"The BCCI and the Indian cricket team will continue to fulfil its FTP commitments. The senior Indian men's team will travel to Australia for its series starting in December this year, and will come back to the country for a series against England starting February next year.
"This will be followed by IPL 2021 in April," Ganguly said.
"The BCCI continues to be the host for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023." The former India captain also said that the tours of the Indian women's team are "under discussion" but did not elaborate further.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
