Du Plessis backs double quarantine to salvage T20 World Cup

DHAKA: Former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis said quarantining players for two weeks before and after the Twenty20 World Cup could allow it to take place in Australia this year despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament is due to be played in October-November but there is uncertainty after the cancellation of other major sporting events. Some countries have also grounded international flights.

“I read that travelling is going to be an issue for lots of countries,” du Plessis said during a live conversation on Facebook with Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal late Wednesday.

“Obviously Australia is not affected like other countries, but to get people from Bangladesh, South Africa or India where there is more danger with the virus, obviously it’s a health risk to them.

“But you can actually go in before the tournament (for) two weeks’ isolation and then play the tournament and afterwards, two weeks’ isolation.”

The game’s governing body, the International Cricket Council, on Tuesday postponed qualifiers for next year’s women’s World Cup and the 2022 Under-19 World Cup.

Both were due to be held in July.

The ICC said in April that planning for the Twenty20 World Cup was still going ahead as scheduled.

Du Plessis also spoke about his team’s heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup semi-final.

“I’ve never been that much broken about a cricket match,” he said.

“That game specifically I have never seen so many grown men absolutely broken. Like half the team was crying and you know South Africans, we act like we are hard guys.”