The remaining two ODIs of the ongoing series between India and South Africa will be played to empty stadiums. The development comes in the wake of the Indian government directing the BCCI and other national sporting federations including the Indian Olympics Committee on Thursday to "avoid" mass gatherings at sporting events as it takes steps to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Lucknow will be hosting the second ODI on March 16 and Kolkata the final ODI on March 18.
Officials at the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and Cricket Association of Bengal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they had received the advisory issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier in the day.
The sports ministry's advisory read: "To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897.
"You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators."
The UPCA, its secretary Yudhveer Singh said, consulted the BCCI once it had got the government advisory. "Once we received the note from the government we checked with BCCI and then decided to conduct the match without spectators," Singh said.
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Officials at the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and Cricket Association of Bengal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they had received the advisory issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier in the day.
The sports ministry's advisory read: "To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897.
"You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators."
The UPCA, its secretary Yudhveer Singh said, consulted the BCCI once it had got the government advisory. "Once we received the note from the government we checked with BCCI and then decided to conduct the match without spectators," Singh said.
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