Women's ODI World Cup likely to take place behind closed doors amid Omicron outbreak in New Zealand

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the restrictions will be harder in the coming two weeks post the Omicron surge in cases in the country and the upcoming international series might all be in danger of taking place under closed doors. The Kiwis will move into the “red” setting of a traffic system late on Sunday after cases initiated on both North and South Island and this has created a lot of panic around the upcoming schedules.

India women’s team is scheduled to tour the nation for a series that includes one T20I and five ODIs beginning February 9 and the Omicron situation is expected to have a toll on it.  The South Africa men’s team is then due to visit the country for a two-match Test series from mid-February after the ongoing series against India. The Women’s World Cup 2021 is scheduled to start in the month of March and April might also be affected now and could take place without the spectators on the ground.

Organizers planning to make changes in restrictions for the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand

The minister for sport and recreation, Grant Robertson on Sunday had mentioned about the organizers looking into the restrictions at the moment and changes will be made accordingly. He noted the space restrictions and allowing 100 vaccinated people in a gathering or an event and the domestic games have followed the same restrictions recently in New Zealand.

“Obviously, we don’t know how long this will last. The Women’s Cricket World Cup organizers have been planning for the tournament to take place in the red setting, and it can absolutely do that.” Robertson said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo

“It is possible to use the defined space rules to effectively have pods of 100 people as long as they keep separate from one another and come into and out of the venue separately. The Cricket World Cup team have been thinking about that if it is necessary” he added

New Zealand had recently postponed the tour to Australia due to the lack of return facilities in New Zealand after the surge in cases while the South Africa series against the Netherlands had to be suspended as well halfway. The board might reconsider the situation and is expected to make changes according to the intensity of the outbreak.