Australia to allow spectators to attend sporting events

As the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed in Australia, crowds of upto 10,000 will be allowed to attend sporting events from July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday (June 12). He added that venues would only be able to seat 25 per cent of their capacity considering the social distancing requirements.



The rule will only apply to stadiums with a capacity of 40,000 or under, ruling out some of Australia's larger cricket grounds like the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Cricket Ground, Adelaide Oval, Gabba and Perth.



The move is a positive step for Australia as they inch closer to the start of the season, which for the women involves the two major domestic tournaments - the Women's National Cricket League and the Women's Big Bash League - and two bi-lateral series involving New Zealand and India.



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Morrison, however, refused to make a commitment about the men's T20 World Cup, saying the decision would require more time and understanding of the logistics considering the scale of the tournament, and the venues expected to be used.



"This is going to be looked at over the next few weeks. For the larger ones I would venture that it would be the subject of a discrete approval for each venue that would be worked out with the Chief Health Officer in each state or territory," Morrison said.



"So by the time you get into July there may be that type of opportunity for the rules that apply to those under 40,000 carry over to those above 40,000. These will be practical, commonsense issues, work through by the medical expert panel over the next few weeks and I think they will give a great instruction."



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Meanwhile, with Cricket Australia searching for ways to cut costs in order to reduce the financial burden on the board caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been whispers about potential cuts to the domestic season. However, Australia allrounder Nicola Carey suggested that the players had not heard any such news and were preparing for a full-season.



“I haven’t heard that it’s changed,” she told reporters during a video conference on Friday. “I’m sort of expecting it to be as planned. If there is changes then so be it. I guess they have to do what they have to do. But I’m definitely planning for a proper season to go ahead.”