Bangladesh to launch vaccination drive for cricket players

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board said Thursday it will vaccinate hundreds of players against the coronavirus by the end of February in a bid to restart domestic tournaments.

Apart from two small events last year and the current tour by the West Indies -- which were held in strict bio-bubbles -- all play has been suspended since March.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has ruled out resuming cricket at all levels until all players are vaccinated.

The jabs will be given to the top 500 players as part of the new campaign.

The board did not spell out how it would get the vaccines. But BCB president Nazmul Hassan is also chief executive of Beximco Pharmaceuticals, which has signed a deal to procure 30 million vaccine doses from India for the Bangladesh government.

Beximco said it also plans to buy vaccines to sell on the open market.

Bangladesh this week received two million vaccine doses from India and launched an anti-coronavirus drive Wednesday with 27 people, including nurses and doctors, receiving the first available vaccines.

Authorities have said a wider inoculation programme will start on February 7.

Bangladesh has recorded 533,000 coronavirus cases and more than 8,000 deaths.