COVID-19 vaccine will bring cricket back to normal, says Ganguly

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said that he is confident that cricket will get back to normal in "six to seven months' time" if a vaccine for the coronavirus is developed.

Cricket, like all other major sports, has been suspended since mid-March due to the pandemic that has infected over 6 million people and killed over 350,000 around the world.

"It is something which caught the world in sheer shock," said Ganguly in an online lecture on Unacademy app.

"We did not have any vaccines to take care of it, but I think over a 6-7 month period once the vaccine comes up everything will be normal. We have this tremendous resistance in ourselves and I think cricket will be back to normal.

"Yes, there will be some changes in the schedules but I think world cricket -- BCCI, the ICC -- are all hell bent to get cricket back to normal."

Ganguly said that while there will be different tests for players and staff to go through, it shouldn't come in the way of the sport.

"For the players there will be different tests and medical examinations but I don't see it coming in the way of the sport moving forward. When the vaccine comes out it will be part of normal life, just like falling sick you take that medicine and you will get better," he said.

While England are mulling plans to host West Indies in July and potentially Pakistan after, Australia announced their schedule for the summer season and it included the four-Test series against India.