'Can't let our lives grind to a halt' - Arun Lal on BCCI's Covid-19 guidelines to states for senior staff

Bengal head coach Arun Lal doesn't want life to "grind to a halt" because of the Covid-19 situation, while the Baroda Cricket Association is getting ready to write to the BCCI to request that its director of cricket, Dav Whatmore, be allowed to continue in his job for the forthcoming domestic season.

Lal is 65 and Whatmore 66, and the reactions are to the BCCI's recommendation that state cricket associations "discourage" individuals above 60 to be a part of training camps in their respective centres for the foreseeable, Covid-19-affected future.

"Generally, we will take it as it comes," Lal told ESPNcricinfo. "Things are very uncertain, and we are all intelligent enough to know the pitfalls, but we can't let our lives grind to a halt. We'll take all precautions, be aware, be intelligent about it, but I am not going to die before my death by sitting at home."

In its missive, the BCCI has specifically mentioned that "those individuals with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, weakened immunity, etc" among the support staff (as well as umpires and groundstaff) are to be considered vulnerable, having a higher risk of contracting Covid-19. "All such individuals should be discouraged from participating in the camp activities until suitable guidelines" are issued by the government, the standard operating procedure (SOP) document sent out to the associations said.

In many ways, Lal fits the BCCI's criterion for people who should be kept away from team activities, whenever they begin, as he is a cancer survivor. Lal, however, stressed that he had been taking all possible precautions, training hard himself, and also keeping tabs on the activities of the Bengal players - the team typically connects over video conferencing once in a while to compare notes.

Elsewhere, there's Whatmore, who was signed up by Baroda earlier this year. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, the state association's CEO and former Mumbai cricketer Shishir Hattangadi said, "These are, as of now, guidelines, given to us by the BCCI, preventive SOPs. The BCCI hasn't barred anyone, they have only recommended. We will discuss the matter in our Apex Council meeting this week and then decide what to do, what to write to the BCCI.

"Our coach is over 60, but he's an international coach, he is fit. I'm sure there won't be a problem."

The Covid-19 situation in India has continued to be serious, with government data at the time of filing this putting the number of active cases in the country at 579,357. A decision has been taken to shift the much-delayed IPL to the UAE - to be played from September 19 to November 10 - and the BCCI has expressed confidence than a truncated domestic season could still be hosted in the country.

To put in place regulations and guidelines for conducting the domestic tournaments in these extraordinary times, the BCCI's medical team had put together the SOPs, primarily meant for the players and coaching staff to resume training, help them understand how to operate in a sterile environment, the dos and don'ts of social distancing in a team environment, and what to do if someone tests positive.