While the major sports events have started to resume in empty stadiums and arenas, the former Pakistan cricket Shoaib Akhtar seems not so big fan of the ploy. He has been quoted as saying that it is like marriage without bride.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many sports have resumed behind closed doors and cricket is also supposed to be played like that in the near future so as to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. With Goverment of India set to allow sports events without spectators in its lockdown four, BCCI is also contemplating on its future activities.
“Playing cricket in the empty stadiums may be viable and durable for cricket boards. But I do not think we can market this. Playing cricket in an empty stadium is like marriage without a bride. We need crowds to play games. I hope the corona situation will be normalized within a year,” Akhtar said in a Helo Live session.
Earlier, Team India skipper Virat Kohli had also said that it would be difficult to re-create the magic and the excitement of playing in a packed stadium while playing behind closed doors.