Got that right! Apparently the decision to play behind closed doors was the result of a spike in infection rates, the BCCI statement goes as follows;
“The decision was arrived at following detailed discussions with the state and local health authorities,” the statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.
“The BCCI will continue to comply with all the regulations put in place to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus and will always put the health and safety of its fans and stakeholders at the top.”
And yet the first two games were watched by tens of thousands of fans in the ground, not socially distanced, or wearing masks (at least not doing so consistently and properly).
From al-Jazeera news;
"India reported 24,492 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the sixth straight day of more than 20,000 infections as curbs to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 were expanded in parts of the country that have recorded a surge.
Total cases have now risen to 11.41 million, the highest in the world after the United States and Brazil. Deaths increased by 131 to 158,856 in the past 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed.
The government has blamed crowding and a general reluctance to wear masks for the spike, ruling out mutations of the virus as a factor, unlike in the West."
So how did the first two games take place with such large crowds, when we know that the virus can infect without symptoms for up to two weeks?
Not saying I necessarily agree with the masks, gloves, distancing etc, but can the authorities (EVERYWHERE!) please BE CONSISTENT, in their interpretation of the statistics that should drive action/policy, and the actions themselves, rather than making it up as they go along (Still, after 12 months during which there has been ample opportunity to study and identify what the virus does, how it works and how to combat it before, during and after the vaccination programme).