The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 is all set to become the first major cricket league to start amid the coronavirus pandemic and it is going to take place in Trinidad and Tobago, starting August 18. The CPL will have a full season and will feature overseas and Caribbean players with the standard higher than it has ever been with the likes of Rashid Khan, Chris Lynn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Alex Hales and Kieron Pollard all set to take part.

Last year’s CPL had a combined broadcast and digital viewership of 312 million and with the tournament being the first franchise T20 event to take place in several months there will be more interest than ever.

“The CPL have worked with the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health and the CPL’s own board of medical advisors to create protocols which minimize risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus to the population of Trinidad and in amongst those who will be travelling to Trinidad & Tobago from overseas,” the organisers said in a statement.

“All teams and officials will be housed in one hotel and everyone will be subject to strict quarantine protocols for the first two weeks they are in the country. Everyone travelling from overseas will be tested for COVID-19, before departure and then again on arrival in Trinidad,” it added.

Teams and officials will be put into “households” where social distancing will need to be in place. 

There will be smaller clusters within each household where these measures can be relaxed. 

However, if any member of this cluster display signs of COVID-19 at any time during the tournament all members of that cluster will be expected to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time that a member of that cohort first shows symptoms.

All members of the CPL party will be subject to regular temperature checks and will be re-tested for the virus throughout their stay in Trinidad and again before departure.

Pete Russell, COO of CPL thanked all the authorities and people involved in hosting the competition in the country in these times.

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“We would like to express our gratitude and thanks to Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, Shamfa Cudjoe, Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs, Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister for Health, Dr. Roshan Parasram, Chief Medical Officer for Trinidad & Tobago, Douglas Camacho, Chairman of Sport TT and their respective ministries and organisations for their support and guidance in making this all possible,” Russell said.

“We are really excited to bring high-class cricket to the Caribbean and to the rest of the world. The standard of players involved in this year’s tournament will be higher than ever and we can’t wait to get the tournament underway,” he added.