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South Africa players felt secure in IPL’s bio-bubble, says CSA Director of Cricket Graeme Smith
Cricket South Africa Director of Cricket Graeme Smith says none of the country's players, who took part in the now-postponed IPL, "felt at risk" during their stay in India as the BCCI created a good Bio-Secure Environment (BSE). The IPL was postponed on 4th May after multiple Covid-19 cases emerged inside the bio-bubble. The 11 South Africans, who participated in the league, have already left for Johannesburg. "In no way would we judge. Having spoken to the players, they felt safe. They felt the BSE (Bio-Secure Environment) was a really good experience in India. They never felt at risk. But that is the nature of what Covid-19 brings,” Smith, a former South Africa captain, said during a news conference. India is currently reporting over 400,000 coronavirus cases per day with close to 4,000 daily deaths. Smith said amid a raging pandemic, the element of risk remains always there and the organizers cannot be blamed.
“Sometimes you can do whatever you want but the BSE - as we've said to everyone - is never foolproof. When Covid-19 is raging in your country there is always a risk. Unfortunately, once it gets inside it's very difficult to predict what's going to happen,” he said.
