Handshakes, ball-shining under microscope for NZ ODIs

Post-game handshakes and shining the ball with saliva will come under the microscope for the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI series as Cricket Australia (CA) implements measures to deal with the spread of COVID-19.

Uncertainty hangs over Australia’s upcoming overseas tours as well as Australian players' involvement in the Indian Premier League after CA announced fans would be barred from the three-game one-day series against the Kiwis beginning Friday in Sydney.

Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts stressed it was not a mistake for last Sunday's ICC Women's T20 World Cup final to be played in front of 86,174 fans despite one since being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Amateur club cricket is expected to go ahead over the weekend, with Roberts encouraging people to support their teams "safely".

Australia's men's squad have been briefed about the increased need for hygiene as the sporting world grapples with an escalating coronavirus pandemic.

England's Test side have ditched handshakes in favour of fist bumps on their ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.

Image Id: DD8AA1E2BE1248418B4DB9DC5101035E Image Caption: Fist bump: England have stopped shaking hands in Sri Lanka // Getty

"We're briefing the players on changing some of the standard on-field behaviours such as not shaking hands (but) obviously still feeling the same sentiments you feel when you do shake hands with someone," Roberts told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.

"To make sure players keep a bit of distance from each other … (and) not putting themselves at risk.

"We're working through all elements of the experience players have on the field and we'll be briefing them accordingly … The briefing to players is ongoing."

CA had been expecting over 20,000 to attend Sunday’s second ODI at the SCG, but while all three matches will still be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo, only accredited media and broadcast personnel will be admitted into the SCG and Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, the venue for the third match.

Beyond the final three games of the home summer, Australia have a three-game T20 tour of New Zealand beginning March 24 in Dunedin.

Seventeen Australians have lucrative deals to play in the ensuing Indian Premier League, with Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell sold for eye-watering sums of $AUD 3.1 million and $2.2m respectively. IPL officials are set to meet this weekend ahead of their scheduled start date of March 29.

Roberts has not yet been in touch with counterparts at the Indian cricket board but said Cricket South Africa had been understanding of CA's decision to suspend this month's women's ODI and T20 tour.

Australia's men have tours of Bangladesh and the United Kingdom scheduled for June and July.

The rapidly-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne to be cancelled on Friday, has meant CA’s crisis management team are being continuously updated by health officials.

"We're taking this one day at a time and perhaps then one week at a time. We've made decisions on the next nine days ahead of us," said Roberts.

"It would be premature to make decisions now based on what's happening on the coming months, but it's not premature to make decisions based on now and the next week."

Roberts admitted there had been some "apprehension" from the men's squad about the upcoming one-dayers following Sunday night's World Cup final.

The spectator who tested positive for COVID-19 was sitting in section N42, Level 2 of the Northern Stand at the MCG but, according to the Melbourne Cricket Club, the patron has been classified as a "low risk" of spreading the virus.

"The feeling from the men's team - there was some apprehension based on the experience of Sunday night partly and the uncertainty of the situation and the developments around the world," said Roberts.

"(There was) some apprehension about playing in front of large crowds over the next week. There were good questions about the impacts of playing in front of a large crowd… there was sensible discussion but no panic.

"They're comfortable to play the matches and looking forward to taking on New Zealand and feeling safe … they'll be playing in an unusual situation."

But Roberts insisted staging the World Cup final, an International Cricket Council event, in front of a record crowd for a women's sporting event in Australia was not irresponsible.

"A lot of things have changed since last Sunday and based on the information then it was the right to do (to play the final) to inspire the world of women and girls and to give cricket … a massive springboard," said Roberts.

"It was the right thing to do to play that game on Sunday and inspire the cricket world.

"Had we gone ahead (with the New Zealand ODIs) as planned we think it would have been a failure to learn from what we experienced last Sunday.

"We're confident in a situation that's not ideal that it's a well-balanced decision."

Gillette ODI Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Jhye Richardson (SA series only), Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

First ODI: March 13 at SCG. 2.30pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Second ODI: March 15 at SCG. 10.30am AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

Third ODI: March 20 at Blundstone Arena. 2.30pm AEDT, Fox Cricket & Kayo

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