The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will play the waiting game and hope to dodge past the BCCI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to state units that “discourages” individuals aged above 60 to be a part of the teams’ support staff because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Along with Arun Lal (65), who has been coaching the Bengal senior team, the CAB also risks losing the services of Pranab Nandy (65) and Pranab Roy (63), who are coaches of the Bengal U-19 and U-15 sides respectively, to the SOP.

The CAB, in a media release on Monday, said “no decision pertaining to change of support staff is being considered at present” since commencement of sports activities in the state hasn’t been allowed yet with still some time left for domestic cricket to begin.

“The coaches will continue to monitor their respective teams via video conferencing, as they have been doing throughout the lockdown period. The CAB seems to be backing them till the government issues fresh guidelines,” said a source.

“We’re keeping a tab on the situation which is frequently changing. This would enable us to take apt measures in the best interests of Bengal cricket.

“However, we need to have patience and there’s no hurry to jump to conclusions,” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya told The Telegraph.

Lal, too, remains hopeful. “It’s not that we’re resuming practice from tomorrow itself. Let’s wait and see.”

The BCCI, meanwhile, is also forming a Covid-19 task force that will include NCA chief Rahul Dravid, the SOP added.

The responsibilities of the task force, which Dravid is likely to head, include communicating clearly and regularly with players and other stakeholders, and explaining measures being taken to manage risk and the advice given to individuals to follow the same.