With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the sporting activities around the world to a halt, playing in empty stadiums is the likely scenario in the foreseeable future until the threat of the virus is completely negated.
Bundesliga, the German football league, is likely to be the first top-flight league that sets the tone for the future with discussions being held for the league to resume sometime in May, report agencies.
Some of the cricketers too have been open to the idea of playing in empty stadiums. The first ODI between Australia and New Zealand in March was played without fans being able to watch it at the venue, which was also the case with the fifth day of the Ranji Trophy final between Saurashtra and Bengal, with the closing stages of the match being played behind closed doors.
However, top flight cricket in India won't happen anytime soon according to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who says sport should take a backseat 'when there is risk to human life'.
"The social reality of Germany and India are different, there will be no cricket in India in the near future," Ganguly told TOI on Tuesday. "There are too many ifs and buts involved. More importantly, I don't believe in sport when there is a risk to human life."
Harbhajan Singh, the former India offspinner who is part of the Chennai Super Kings team in the IPL, concurred. "When IPL teams travel, there's a huge crowd at the airports, hotels, outside the stadium.
How are you going to stop them if you are looking to maintain social distancing? There should be no top-flight cricket till there is a vaccine for Covid-19."