Odishatv Bureau

New Delhi: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Treasurer Arun Dhumal on Wednesday clarified that there is no thought process for asking the Indian cricket team to take pay cuts due to coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.

Speaking to IANS, Dhumal made it clear that there have been no such discussions and while the setback from the pandemic will be huge, salary cut of skipper Virat Kohli and his boys isn't in the mind of the board.

Also Read: COVID-19 Outbreak: Indian Sportsmen Urge Countrymen To Extend Helping Hand

"No, we have not spoken about this (pay cut). Whatever the steps after this setback, it will be taken judiciously and keeping the interest of all people in mind. Any step taken needs to be thought out and right now we haven't even thought about it. Obviously this is a big setback, but we will go about this in a way that nobody gets affected. These things can be discussed once things settle down," he said.

Players' wages have been cut in recent times and even a club like Barcelona had to ask its football stars to take a wage cut leading to reports that the likes of Lionel Messi weren't too happy with the decision due to coronavirus outbreak.

But Messi came out and cleared the air. "A lot has been written and said about the football first team at Barcelona, when it comes to the players' salaries during this state of alarm.

"First of all, we would like to clarify that we have always been willing to accept a wage cut, because we understand perfectly that this is an exceptional situation and we are always the first to help the club when we have been asked to.

Also Read: Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma Contribute Rs 3 Crore To Coronavirus Relief Fund? Sources Say So

"For that reason, we cannot help but be surprised by the fact that from within the club there are those trying to put us under the microscope or apply pressure for us to do something that we have always been clear that we would do.

"If an agreement has taken a few days to be reached it is simply because we were seeking a formula to help the club and also to help its employees in these very difficult times," explained Messi.

In fact, even the Indian cricketers have come out and made donations as the country looks to fight the coronavirus outbreak with skipper Kohli himself donating Rs 3 crore along with his actress wife Anushka Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) today said that the coastal city of Shantou in southern China will remain as hosts of the third Asian Youth Games that will be held from November 20 to 28, 2021.

Also Read: COVID-19 Impact: World Athletics To Postpone 2021 World Championships To 2022

"The OCA while maintaining a very strict isolation policy is still continuing its activity and liaising with the various Asian Games Organizing Committee to ensure that the preparations for the Games are not hindered," said OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam in a letter written to the Presidents and Secretary Generals of all Olympic bodies under its ambit.

"In this respect, I have the pleasure to inform you that the OCA in coordination with the Shantou 3rd Asian Youth Games Organizing Committee (SAYGOC) has decided the dates and sports programme of the 3rd Asian Youth Games."

A number of Olympic qualifiers were scheduled to be held this year in China and most of them were shifted out of the country due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 3000 people in the country.

The disease has since spread to most countries around the world, leading to restrictions on movement of people and quarantine measures that ultimately forced the International Olympic Committee to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to August 23, 2021.

(IANS)

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