A big positive for Vidarbha As many as 80 players and support staff test negative; training begins tomorrow at Civil Lines
   Date :19-Nov-2020

Civil Lines 2_1 &nbs
 To start with only fielding sessions will be held on the ground in small batches while the nets will take place at the indoor academy in Civil Lines. (File Photo)
 
 
By Anupam Soni :
 
IT WAS a big sigh of relief for Vidarbha Cricket Association as all of its player tested negative for the dreaded coronavirus. The tests were conducted on Tuesday and VCA received the reports on Wednesday. Apart from the players, the entire support staff also tested negative. Confirming the development, VCA CEO Farokh Dastoor told ‘The Hitavada’, “None of our players has been tested positive. In fact, all the 80 players and support staff members, who would be engaged in training and under went the test for virus, were found to be negative.”
 
VCA is more interested in holding training camps for senior men and those player who have done well for the U-23 and U-19 teams last season as the BCCI has hinted on conducting National T20 Championship for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January to be followed by Ranji Trophy. There is no mention of any activity for junior cricketers by the BCCI and VCA also does not want to risk health of junior players at this moment. After around eight months of COVID enforced break, the two-time back to back Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup champions probables will be training once again, starting Friday. “Once the men’s training gets started, we would be focusing on women,” Dastoor said. Initially, the players will be training at the Civil Lines ground. VCA has got the necessary permissions from Nagpur Municipal Corporation for the same.
 
The nets will take place at the indoor academy while fielding sessions will be conducted in small batches on the ground. Former India pacer, VCA Vice-President and Chairman of Cricket Administration and Development Committee (CADC) Prashant Vaidya will be the overall incharge of the training. With such a short span of time left for training, it is very likely that VCA might not appoint any new coach for its Ranji Trophy team. The U-23 coach and former Vidarbha player Trevor Gonsalves in all likelihood will take care of the senior team.
 
The BCCI had already issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure for the state associations regarding training and VCA will be strictly adhering to those norms. It is also reliably learnt that the Bapuna Cup cricket tournament will not be held this season. The old annual event has been a traditionally a four-day affair with a couple of outstation teams fighting it out with three teams from Vidarbha for supremacy. With rains ruling the roost last year, Bapuna Cup was held as a one-day event for the first time.