The upcoming matches of India men’s team tour of Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground could be played in front of a full house as the state of New South Wales looks to ease the coronavirus restrictions.
The development was also announced by the Indian broadcasters Sony Pictures Network at the end of action on Friday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that outdoor stadiums will be permitted to operate at 100% capacity from Monday, according to a Reuters report.
“What we’ve tried to achieve here is a healthy balance of giving people freedom and allowing businesses to flourish, while also maintaining those basic principles of living in a Covid safe way,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.
There have been no new case of Covid-19 reported in the state for three weeks now.
The first two One-day International matches of the series were played at the SCG with a less than capacity crowd: reportedly operating at 50% of the stadium’s capacity.
The next matches there will be the second and third Twenty20 matches which will be followed by the third Test of the four-match series at the start of 2021. The Reuters report added that the second match of the T20I series has been sold out at the capped capacity.
“A series that has broken records on and off the field deserves a full house and that is exactly what we will have for the final T20 International between the Australian and Indian men’s teams at the SCG on Tuesday, December 8,” CA’s head of fan engagement Anthony Everard is quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.
“Tickets for Tuesday’s T20 International sold out within hours when capacity was at 50% and we anticipate similarly high levels of interest when the new tickets are released.”
Australia is one of the few countries where the pandemic has been managed and crowd have returned to the stadiums across sporting events. The Women’s Big Bash League, held entirely in grounds in Sydney, also witnessed the partial return of fans.
