BBL 2020-21: Minibars in hotel rooms to be shut to minimise player-staff interaction amid COVID-19 threat

Players taking part in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) will have no access to the minibar in hotel rooms. Cricket Australia (CA) has taken this decision in an endeavor to reduce interaction between staff and players in the wake of COVID-19.

According to CA, the move to shut the minibar was taken considering the safety of everyone involved in the BBL. The tournament organizers believe that in the event of the minibar remaining open, attempts to restock it could lead to interaction between hotel staff and players, which is not an ideal situation under the current scenario.

Check the BBL fixture for 2020-21 here.

'BBL Hub' to be set up inside bio-bubble for players to purchase essentials

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a ‘BBL Hub’ will be set up at the hotels for all stakeholders of the league, and all participants will only be allowed to access their area of the hub as part of the isolation exercise.

CA informed that residents of the hub can head to the respective shops to purchase essentials. Further, no one will be allowed to remain in their rooms while they are cleaned by housekeeping staff.

The Indian cricket team currently in Australia is also under a bio-bubble as the danger of COVID-19 remains a reality. Meanwhile, the latest edition of the Big Bash League is all set to begin on December 10.

The opening match in this year's BBL will be between Hobart Hurricanes and defending champions Sydney Sixers at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

Sydney Sixers are the defending BBL champions after they beat Melbourne Stars by 19 runs in last season's final at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

A few weeks back, the organizers announced three rule changes — ‘Power Surge', 'X-factor Player', and 'Bash Boost’ — for the BBL 2020-21 season in a bid to make the tournament more exciting. It remains to be seen how the changes impact the performance of players in the franchise.