BCB enacts one-ticket-per-person rule to guard against coronavirus

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to reduce the crowd attending the ongoing two-match T20I series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe as a precaution against Coronavirus in Mirpur and decided to restrict people to one ticket per person.

"We have decided to sell only one ticket to one person during the two T20's against Zimbabwe. The government has given directives to discourage public gathering and following that we have taken this initiative,'' said BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury to the media on Monday.

With a capacity of 25000 spectators at the home of cricket in Mirpur, the BCB is intent on keeping the crowd to one-fifth of its capacity for the T20Is at SBNS, with the restriction on ticket sales the first step against COVID-19.

There is minimum attendance at the ground today. One of the spectators said: "I have been waiting since 3pm to get tickets but the counters have closed. I managed to buy tickets at black by paying 100 TK extra."

Another said that he would have liked to bring his family but the coronavirus threat stopped him from bringing his close ones with him. "I wanted to bring my family but the virus threat averted me. I could've managed the tickets at black.  

There are concerns over the board's plan to celebrate the 100th birth centenary of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman due to the coronavirus.

BCB has plans in motion to arrange a concert involving Bollywood musician AR Rahman on March 18 followed by two T20Is between Asia XI and World XI on March 20 and 21 respectively. All the events are to take place at SBNS.

"We will speak to the government regarding the situation. The direction from the government has come only yesterday [Sunday]. At this point things are moving as planned but as because there is a concern from the government, we will monitor the situation closely and will keep aligned to the concern from the government," Nizamuddin clarified.

Bangladesh on Sunday announced the first cases of COVID-19 where three people were tested positive with the virus.