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13 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS Tourism authorities studying ways to ‘co-exist with COVID-19’ …as aviation, health sectors join collaborative efforts …tax incentives, solo experiences among suggestions discussed
By Rupa Seena aine
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has taken its toll on economies across the globe, devastating industries and creating a domino effect on supplementary sectors.
In Guyana, Tourism authorities have begun assessing the losses and negative figures for the year; and, as such, are seeking means to ‘co-exist’ with the coronavirus until a vaccination is created.
At present, researchers have posited that this vaccine is far from reach.
Like the tourism industry, the aviation sector has been dealt a serious blow, as airports remain closed in many territories. As such, local entities such as the Business Ministry, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) were joined by officials from the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, and other counterparts globally on Thursday to assert their input in reviving the industry through modified income streams.
Director-General of Tourism, Donald Sinclair, indicated that any premature opening of the ports and travel could pose serious risks on countries, and as such, adaptation is key to remaining relevant until normalcy prevails.
While it is said that recovery before 2021 is highly unlikely, the domestic market will rebound first. Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Carla James, has said her office is working with a
GCAA Director General Egbert Field
phased guideline to incorporate tourism in a way that does not interfere with the COVID-19 regulations, and is also building a resiliency and recovery strategy. In foresight, they are preparing for safe travel when borders reopen.
“As part of that acceptance of (the) new norm, we need to focus on the solutions and take action now, talking about a phased approach in reopening destinations and making communities and tours safe for our visitors. That recovery timeline looks like identifying priorities, redefining our action plans to prepare for when borders open,” James highlighted.
Hygiene and sanitation are said to be a major introduction to safe travel. They have also selected models whereby new technologies can conduct raid checks at airports. James, however, pointed out that some of Guyana’s considered weaknesses in the past might prove to be advantageous in the way tourists select their vacation destination.
“I think some of the key takeaways from this preparation is that some of the weaknesses that Guyana is known to have are now our strengths, and perception of destination safety will drive decision- making going forward,” she posited.
Worldwide, consumers are faced with financial constraints, global uncertainty on safety, booking conditions, and the availability of flights, as they seek to travel presently. Locally, the sector is met with its own challenges, which affect reopening, but authorities are considering freezing prices for the rest of the year, among other alternatives, to encourage people to travel.
“The challenges that are facing Guyana to reopen right now are: a lot of supplies are closed; there is great uncertainty. I think we have been advocating to freeze our prices for at least the remainder of 2020, and maybe all the way through [the first quarter] of 2021… The private sector is now looking into that mode, where they’re looking to address these challenges to cater for when the market opens up,” the GTA Director said.
It is expected that many persons, if they choose to travel, would find destinations that are closer to home. Also, many may eliminate countries that have alarming cases of the deadly virus.
Waiving taxes
Meanwhile, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar, has recognised that Guyanese pay hefty airport taxes when travelling. Incentives on regional trav
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud
el, he noted, can keep tourism alive until the pandemic is brought to an end.
Ramkumar went on to break down the amount of money persons dispense in taxes, which add to a significant sum for families and large groups of persons travelling. Passenger and travel fees are added at every destination at which a person stops. As such, he said, the region should formulate a workable alternative to address these issues.
“Regional tourism needs to be incentivized,” he declared. “Governments and airports need to reduce the travel tax and passenger fees…We have a Travel Voucher Tax of 15 per cent of the base fare, that is for all travel originating out of Georgetown. In addition to that, there is a travel tax of $3,500; the airport security fee for all departing passenger is US$20 at the Cheddi Jagan International [Airport]; and there is a passenger fee on arrival for all arriving passengers,” he highlighted.
He claimed that when the ports and borders are reopened, the tourism sector can have a proper rebound by implementing such measures.
The THAG President added, “I believe this is something that really needs to be looked at as a region and as a collective. This is not an attack on anyone, but I think if we come together, we can have solutions that can encourage our people to travel.”
Domestic partnerships
With international aircraft grounded, and some limited to only cargo or humanitarian flights, DirectorGeneral of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Egbert Field, suggested that travel entities should focus on forging partnerships to facilitate more domestic travel.
This can significantly assist the sector, until there is some sense of normalcy, he said.
“Start that discussion with our local operators on what routes they might be able to run for you independent of doing charters or regular runs,” he urged tourism bodies.
According to him, the aviation industry is in a serious position, with activities dwindling to just 9.7 per cent. There has been a significant reduction in the revenue base, as fees for using Guyana’s airspace and money generated from other activities drop.
Safe travel
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud cautioned that the new avenues to garner income from the sector should be safe, with mechanisms in place to protect travellers.
GTA Director Carla James
This is according to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in a statement to the media on Thursday, in which it was stated that former cane-cutters of the nowclosed Wales Estate had begun receiving their severance payments.
GAWU is contending that the workers’ severance payments were withheld from them despite a High Court decision made in their favour.
In December 2018, Justice Sandil Kissoon awarded the cane-cutters of Wales, who had taken up work at Uitvlugt Estate following the Wales’ closure, one month’s pay in lieu of notice, apart from their severance entitlements which are premised on their years of service to the sugar company.
Wales sugar workers receive last outstanding severance payout
Aggrieved sugar workers were on Tuesday paid the last tranche of their severance payments, which had been withheld from them by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) following the December 2016 closure of the Wales Estate.
The state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) abided partially with the court’s order in regard to the workers’ severance entitlements, but refused to pay the workers who were entitled to their one month’s pay, GAWU explained.
He said the Public Health Ministry would also have to make facilities available should any traveller come across as a suspected case, which all come at a cost.
“There are new methodologies, and even new equipment, that are required at all ports. There is some sanitising equipment now that are being piloted…Home isolation is something we’d have to work on, and to find facilities generally… case finding and early detection; contact-tracing and follow-up; and the containment measures, which include the border controls, our airlines, vessels, and even vehicular traffic that operates,” Dr Persaud asserted.
Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Neil Walters, has recognised that this type of collaboration is necessary for countries to recover, since many of them would not be able to do so alone. Nevertheless, suggestions were made for solo experiences and more virtual reality undertakings by these entities, as the virus progresses.
The GAWU stated that, on two occasions early last year, they had written to GuySuCo, seeking its full compliance with the court decision, but the Corporation had remained adamant and refused to honour its legal obligations to the workers. This led to the workers’ bargaining agent approaching the High Court to have the outstanding section of Justice Kissoon’s decision enforced.
The Union’s legal recourse saw, on November 21, 2019, Chief Justice (ag.) Roxane George approving a garnishment order regarding the outstanding sum owed to the workers. Through the order, the Corporation’s banker was compelled to pay over to the Union, on the workers’ behalf, the sum of $7.5M.
The Corporation subsequently appealed the Chief Justice’s decision, but when that matter came up for hearing earlier this year, GuySuCo withdrew its appeal after its attorney learnt that the order had been enforced and the appeal had therefore become moot.
The withdrawal of the appeal by GuySuCo had
…workers lament seemingly arduous and long wait they had to endure Sugar workers picketing the Ministry of the Presidency for severance pay
paved the way for the Union to finally pay to the workers their outstanding monies. GAWU has said the workers were most pleased to be receiving their outstanding payments, and expressed their appreciation to the Union for the sustained efforts to bring them justice.
According to GAWU, the workers lamented the seemingly arduous and long wait they had to endure to have their lawful rights respected.
“Indeed, the struggle of the sugar workers of the closed estates to receive their severance entitlements represents a sad chapter in our history; but, at the same time, a proud achievement for workers’ rights. It also demonstrates…the obstacles workers have to surmount to have their rights respected, and is yet another reminder of the need for workers to be organized, lest their rights be disregarded,” the missive stated.
14 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C
16 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C
STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT
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21 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 Around the World
OILNEWS
IEA: Oil market recovery faces 2 major uncertainties
Even after Black April ended and demand started to crawl up, the oil market and supply-demand balances continue to face two major uncertainties on its fragile road to recovery—a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections and potentially underwhelming Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) compliance with the cuts, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday.
In its Oil Market Report for May, the IEA noted that despite pledges both for deeper cuts and over-compliance from OPEC’s Middle East heavyweights Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, it is highly uncertain how compliant the whole OPEC+ group would remain with the production reductions. One of the biggest questions that the oil market faces is whether the OPEC+ participants could achieve and then keep the cuts, the IEA said.
An even bigger headache for the oil market rebalancing and oil price recovery is the major uncertainty if coronavirus infections will start rising again in a second wave, after economies have started to re-open and lockdowns are being eased, including in some of the worst-hit countries in Europe such as Italy and the United Kingdom.
“These are big questions – and the answers we get in the coming weeks will have major consequences for the oil market,” the Paris-based agency said.
These uncertainties, if realised, could put at risk the IEA’s slightly more optimistic view on the global oil market this month compared to last month. In the May report, the IEA expects global oil demand to drop by 8.6 million bpd in 2020 – a major demand loss this year, but slightly less than the 9.3-million-bpd demand destruction the agency had predicted in its report in April.
For Q2 2020 alone, the IEA expects demand to plunge by 19.9 million bpd compared to last year’s consumption levels.
“A resurgence of COVID-19 is a major risk factor for demand,” the IEA warned. (Oilprice.com)
Global virus vaccine race heats up, but not without controversy
Global tensions simmered over the race for a coronavirus vaccine Thursday, as the United States and China traded jabs, and France slammed pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi for suggesting the US would get any eventual vaccine first.
Scientists are working at breakneck speed to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, which has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide and pummelled economies.
From the US to Europe to Asia, national and local governments are easing up on lockdown orders to get people back to work – while fretting over a possible second wave of infections.
Increased freedom of movement means an increased risk of contracting the virus, and so national labs and private firms are labouring to find the right formula for a vaccine.
Seeking to mark an anniversary of the European Union’s relations with China on May 6, he and the EU’s 27 Ambassadors co-wrote an opinion piece titled “EU-China ties vital amid global crisis”, for publication on Embassy websites and in China Daily, an English-language newspaper controlled by the State.
Earlier this month, Europe’s ambassador in Beijing submitted to Chinese censorship.
The European Union's medicines agency offered some hope when it said one could be ready in a year, based on data from clinical trials already underway.
But Marco Cavaleri, the EMA's head of vaccines strategy, acknowledged that timeline was a "bestcase scenario," and cautioned that "there may be delays."
The race for a vaccine has exposed a raw nerve in relations between the United States and China, where the virus was first detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan.
Two US agencies warned Wednesday that Chinese hackers were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research – a claim Beijing rejected as "smearing" its reputation.
US President Donald Trump, who has ratcheted up the rhetoric against China, said he doesn't even want to engage with Chinese leader Xi Jinping – potentially imperilling a trade deal between the world's top two economies. "I'm very disappointed in China. I will tell you that right now," he said in an interview with Fox Business. "There are many things we could do. We could do things. We could cut off the whole relationship."
On Capitol Hill, an ousted US health official told Congress that the Trump Government had no strategy in place to find and distribute a vaccine to millions of Americans, warning of the "darkest winter" ahead.
World leaders were among 140 signatories to a letter published Thursday saying any vaccine should not be patented and that the science should be shared among nations. "Governments and international partners must unite around a global guarantee which ensures that, when a safe and effective vaccine is developed, it is produced rapidly at scale and made available for all people, in all countries, free of charge," it said.
But a row erupted in France after French drugmaker Sanofi said it would reserve first shipments of any vaccine it discovered to the United States.
The comments prompted a swift rebuke from the French Government – President Emmanuel Macron's office said any vaccine should be treated as "a global public good, which is not submitted to market forces". (Excerpt from AFP)
Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles made the comment on Wednesday as he delivered his report on the university’s future operation in a live broadcast on UWItv.
Beckles said UWI will soon be presenting COVID budgets that will see massive cuts in its expenditure, to its University Grants Committee (UGC) for approval.
He said the virus has serious implications for
As China pushes back on virus, Europe wakes to 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy
UWI to slash budget as COVID-19 takes toll
The University of the West Indies (UWI) plans to make significant budget cuts as it charts the way forward in a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) world.
the Caribbean Region and there would be no avoiding these ramifications for how Caribbean people conduct their lives going forward.
“There is no doubt that the Governments and people of this region must continue to see this pandemic as an existential threat to Caribbean civilisation,” Beckles said.
He said the region is now facing a “triple C” threat— of climate change, chronic disease, and COVID-19.
“This region has lost over US$30 billion in the last five years on account of the challenges of hurricanes. We are losing some US$1.5 billion a year in our containment and management of the chronic disease pandemic and COVID-19 is estimated to decimate some 20 per cent of the Region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounting for near US$16 billion,” Beckles said.
UWI’s St Augustine Campus
He said with all the issues facing the Region and its Governments struggling to cope, the university is still owed money from different Governments and has been operating on a deficit in its consolidated financial accounts.
Beckles said the University intends to keep an intimate relationship with the Governments in the Region to work out these financial issues. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
“The outbreak of the coronavirus in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months,” said the carefully orchestrated piece, had “temporarily side-tracked” plans for meetings.
But in the China Daily version, the reference to the virus starting in China was deleted.
The change emerged as the article appeared on EU embassy websites, causing alarm among representatives of member states. Diplomats said the Ambassador, French diplomat Nicolas Chapuis, had not consulted his bosses in Brussels or his fellow envoys about the change. He had, the EU executive said on May 7, unilaterally decided to accept it, with “considerable reluctance”.
As the new coronavirus casts its shadow over geopolitics, the episode highlights concern among European diplomats over what they see as an increasingly conflictual relationship with Beijing. (Excerpt from Reuters)
The United States is considering returning Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a senior official in the Administration of US President Donald Trump told Reuters news agency on Thursday – a move that would mark another major blow to increasingly tense relations between Washington and Havana.
There is a "convincing case" that Cuba should be placed back on the US blacklist, in part because of its continued backing for socialist Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the refuge it gives to leaders of Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group, the official said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official did not rule out that a decision on Cuba's relisting could come by the end of the year.
In what was possibly a preliminary step, the Trump Administration said on Wednesday that it had put the Communist-ruled island back on a separate list of countries that do not cooperate fully with its efforts to counter "terrorism".
Havana, which has long denied any link to socalled terrorism, dismissed Wednesday's Department of State announcement as "spurious".
Returning Cuba to the blacklist would be a further rollback of the detente that former President Barack Obama orchestrated between the old Cold War foes. His decision to formally remove Cuba from the "terrorism" list in 2015 was an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties that year.
Trump's toughened stance on Cuba, as well as Venezuela, has gone down well in the large CubanAmerican community in south Florida, an important voting bloc in a key political swing state as he seeks re-election in November. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Qatar’s Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that wearing masks would be mandatory to go outside starting Sunday, and those who do not comply would be fined up to 200,000 riyals (US$53,000).
Violators could also be jailed up to three years, or either of those punishments, according to a statement on the Ministry’s Twitter account.
The statement added that the only exception would be if the person is alone driving in a vehicle.
Qatar reported 1733 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours for a total of 28,272 cases and a total of 14 deaths. (Reuters) Qatar makes wearing masks outside mandatory with violators fined up to US$53,000
On Thursday, May 14 marked the 80th anniversary of the first ball-by-ball broadcast on the BBC. In Australia, matches had been covered since 1922, with the first Test coverage coming during the Sydney Test in 1924-25. But it was only in 1927 when the BBC drew up its new charter which gave it the right to send out reporters to inform the public about major events, that the idea spread to Britain.
Lance Sieveking, who had just returned from the USA where he had been impressed by live baseball commentary, decided to experiment with cricket. The BBC had already started with coverage of a rugby international - England v Wales at Twickenham - on January 15, 1927, and soon followed with other broadcasts from the Grand National and the Boat Race.
On April 1, The Guardian announced that the BBC had proposed adding cricket to its basket of radio sports. As with most newspaper comment of the time, the reaction was lukewarm at best. The problem was that the papers regarded radio as a direct competitor and for a long time refused to publish programme schedules.
While The Guardian was dismissive, the Daily Herald was flippant, asking, with tongue firmly in cheek, whether coverage of the chess championship or billiards would not be more enthralling.
On April 25, it was announced that the Reverend Frank Gillingham, a former Essex batsman and a wellrespected preacher, would be the man who would deliver the first cricket commentary from Leyton on the first day of the match between Essex and the New Zealanders. The plan was for him to be on air from 2.10pm until 2.20pm, and then for a further four fiveminute bursts on the hour with a general summary
at 6.45pm. In between, the London Radio Dance Band would keep listeners entertained.
Although coverage was limited, The Daily Telegraph noted that "it is difficult to see how else such a broadcast could be made thoroughly interesting". A few days later The Guardian revealed that there were plans to cut into the scheduled band music "at any period when play is specially interesting".
As the day itself loomed, the Radio Times, the BBC's own publication, described the venture as "a new departure, an experiment, and something of an adventure" while admitting that cricket was "one of the slowest games in the world" and, as such, not exactly what people would want to listen to for long. "They will not have to sit through descriptions of maiden overs and wait while the batsman send to the pavilion for his cap."
Gillingham was perched next to the secretary's office on the pavilion balcony, deliberately outside so that some of the noises of the crowd would be picked up by the one microphone.
In the game itself, Essex bowled the tourists out for 280 and reached 57 for 2 at the close. The Times, without referring to the BBC's presence, said there was "a distinctly subdued note throughout the day". Nevertheless, 337 runs, 12 wickets and no rain was a far from disastrous start.
There is no recording of the broadcasts, but newspaper reaction was, perhaps predictably, low key. The Western Daily Press described it as "deadly dull" to the general body of listeners, but the Edinburgh Evening News was a little more upbeat with its verdict of "a partial success".
The experiment must have gone down reasonably well at Broadcasting House as it quickly decided to cover more matches. Initially the plans were Londonbased with broadcasts limited to Lord's and The Oval - there were logistical reasons for this - but at the end of May there were short spells of commentary on the Roses match at Old Trafford and in June the Test Trial at Sheffield was added.
Lord's proved a tough nut to crack, although issues
about where the commentator could sit were finally resolved in time for Pelham Warner - who was overlooked for the Leyton match as his voice was deemed "too gravely melancholic" - to cover Middlesex v Nottinghamshire on June 11. Rather than a spot in or near the pavilion, he was forced to perch on top of the Clerk of the Works office, just outside the main ground overlooking third man.
The expansion in coverage indicates that the public warmed to the idea. The press remained defensive. In June, the Daily Mail slammed the "pathetic offering". On July 6, Warner, who had quickly become the voice of London commentary - or "running comment" as the BBC termed it - was at Lord's for the third day of Oxford v Cambridge, with a car on standby should that finish to whisk him to The Oval to cover Gentlemen v Players.
July was a hectic month for Warner. Aside from those two matches, he also broadcast on Eton v Harrow and a brace of Surrey matches. At the end of the month, the Roses match at Leeds was warranted important enough for attention.
By the end of the summer, regional stations had joined in. In August, the BBC's Belfast service had coverage of the final of the local Senior Challenge Cup at the North of Ireland Cricket Club, while BBC Cardiff was at the Arms Park for Glamorgan v Somerset.
So cricket on the radio was here to stay. Sadly, Gillingham was soon gone. The end came when during a lengthy rain delay in a match at The Oval he ingeniously decide to fill in time by reading out the advertisements which surrounded the ground. In the rather puritanical and non-commercial era of Lord Reith, that was about as cardinal a sin as could be imagined and he was soon jettisoned.
Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? E-mail us with your comments and suggestions. (ESPNcricinfo)
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The International Olympic Committee expects to bear costs of up to $800 million for its part in the organisation of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, now due to be staged next year, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Thursday.
In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government decided to delay the Games, due to start this
A passerby wearing a protective face mask following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) walks past a screen displaying logos of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in
Tokyo (Reuters)
July, for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We anticipate we will have to bear costs of up to $800 million for our part and responsibilities in the organisation of the postponed Games Tokyo 2020,” Bach told a conference call at the end of the IOC’s executive board meeting.
He said of that amount $650 million would go towards the organisation of the Games next year and $150 million to support international federations and National Olympic Committees. The figure announced by Bach does not include any costs Tokyo Games organisers and the Japanese government have to incur by the 12-month delay of the world’s biggest multi-sports event.
Bach declined to speculate on a possible new delay if the virus is still a major concern next year.
“We are now working with full engagement for the success of Tokyo 2020 in 2021 and to have these
Games in a safe environment for all participants,” he said.
Some four million people have been infected and close to 300,000 have died from the disease globally.More than 90 vaccines are currently being developed globally, with eight in the clinical trial phase. But experts say the process could take years and may not happen at all. (Reuters)
NOW! 223-7230-1 (Ext 55)
Andre Russell celebrates with Glen Phillips and Oshane Thomas
With a focus on rebuilding for the 2020 CPL season, the beleaguered Jamaica Tallawahs franchise has opted to retain four players including star player Andre Russell for the new season.
The franchise that has borne the brunt of public criticism from former player Chris Gayle and Russell, has also retained Rovman Powell, Oshane Thomas and Chadwick Walton.
“The Tallawahs organisation will be seeking to rebuild in 2020. We are extremely excited to have Andre Russell back for another year. Andre was recently named as the leading T20 cricketer in the world by the 2020 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack,” said CEO Jefferson Miller.
“We are delighted for the opportunity to retain Oshane Thomas and Rovman Powell, both rising stars in West Indies and world cricket. I’m looking forward to having the veteran Chadwick Walton back in the dressing room.
“Chadwick brings a wealth of leadership experience to the team and has been a dominant player over the years in the CPL. Overall, we are looking forward to successful CPL 2020 and returning the championship to Jamaica.”
International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players.
The CPL is scheduled to take place between August 19 and September 26, but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and govern- ments.
They will make a decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, as soon as p o s s i b l e . (Sportsmax)
For the first time since March, competitive cricket involving international players of a Full Member team is set to return after a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Vincy Premier League (VPL), a franchise-based T10 tournament, is scheduled to start from May 22 in the eastern Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
This will be the inaugural season of the VPL, a six-team tournament, which will be played from May 22 to 31 at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex in St Vincent.Although the Pacific nation of Vanuatu became the first country to resume cricket since the pandemic halted all sport in March, the VPL will be the first instance when the game will resume in a Full Member region comprising international players. The VPL will also become the first tournament where the players will not be allowed to use saliva on the ball, a concept that the ICC and medical experts at various cricket boards have been discussing, as reported recently by ESPNcricinfo. The tournament is set to be open for fans as there are no restrictions imposed by the government in St Vincent and the Grenadines.The VPL comprises 30 matches, which will be streamed live, with three games scheduled per day. A total of 72 players were picked by the six franchises via a draft held on May 11. Among them are six marquee players, including three West Indies players - seamer Kesrick Williams, opening batsman Sunil Ambris and left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy.The last recognised match before Covid-19 halted games across the world was played on March 15 when the Karachi Kings hosted the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.The VPL will be hosted by St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGA), whose president, Kishore Shallow, is also the vice-president at Cricket West Indies (CWI).Shallow said the VPL was put together in the last two weeks after he was approached by Dream 11, an India-based sports technology company. He then alerted CWI and sent in a formal request via the Windward Island Cricket Association (of which the SVGA is a member) asking for the VPL to be sanctioned. Shallow said he had spoken to both CWI chief executive Johnny Grave and CWI cricket operations manager Roland Holder about the VIPL."We have formally written to CWI. And I expect to get a positive response from them soon," Shallow told ESPNcricinfo.According to Shallow, there were a total of 18 positive cases of Covid-19 in St Vincent and the Grenadines as of Wednesday, of which 10 had successfully recovered. Keeping in m i n d the risk posed by the pandemic, Shallow said the tournament had the "endorsement" from the local government and the ministry of health. He said the players would not be "exposed to the public" and all necessary precautions as advised by the government would be ensured including having additional short breaks at various points during the match where players would be asked to u s e hand sanitisers."What we have been doing is managing the risk. So what we plan to do during the tournament is ask spectators to practise social and physical distancing. So they will be sitting at least a few seats apart. And because of the time the matches are taking place, we do not anticipate a massive crowd at the matches."
Shallow said all the league matches would start at an "unusual time", 8.30am local time and go on until 2pm only to "capture" the Indian audience where Dream 11 has its wide user base."We came up with this T10 franchise format because of the absence of sports content at this point, and thought that this brand of cricket would be enticing to cricket fans across the globe in a short duration," Shallow said at the launch of the draft on May 11. (ESPN Cricinfo)
St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association President, Dr Kishore Shallow is also the Vice President of Cricket West Indies
(CWI)
Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave believes that the tour to England, where the two teams are currently scheduled to play three-match Test series, will go ahead. He, however, admits that some of the players will be "very nervous" about the prospect of travelling to the UK amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The tour, which was due to start on June 4, stands postponed until at least July because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "There will be no coercing players into this tour," Grave told BBC Sport. "If you grow up in a country where the population might only be 60,000 or 70,000 people, to be thinking the UK has had over 30,000 deaths is a massive figure. "We have to be absolutely clear that it''s safe first and foremost," Graves added.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is exploring the use of bio-secure venues and quarantining players. "The ECB have got a long way to go to get UK government approval to be absolutely certain that biosecure cricket will work," said Graves.
He further said the board had contacted a "wide pool of players" about the prospect of travelling to England. "The players would be very much in a bubble," said Graves. "We said to the ECB we''d want four weeks of preparation before the first Test. We''re probably looking at three back-to-back Test matches. "It would be seven weeks of very much training at the ground, staying at the ground and very much being isolated within that hotel environment," he added.
ECB has already stated that it is working closely with the British government in order to churn out a plan to safely resume cricket amid the global pandemic. (IANS)
Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave
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