BBL 2020-21: These Brisbane Heat Players sanctioned after Covid-19 protocol breach.

Byline by- Vinayak Heliwal

A day after the spectacular match between Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat, Big Bash League franchise Brisbane Heat and its players Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have been reprimanded with fines for ‘breach of protocols’ relating to the bio-bubble although the extent of this particular breach was medically ‘lower risk’.

The infringements made by Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence relate to an incident from Saturday, December 12. The duo was found guilty of socializing in public ahead of the BBL 2020 match between Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat.

Brisbane Heat, Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have been sanctioned under the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct. Although Cricket Australia fined all the parties for the COVID-19 bubble breaches, it has decided not to suspend Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence.

Brisbane Heat has been fined $50,000, with $20,000 suspended for the remainder of the BBL 2020 season. The BBL 2020 team has been found guilty of violating sections 1, 3, 4, and 9 of the COVID-19 Directive for State Associations and W/BBL Teams.

Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence on the other hand have been issued a report each under section 2.23 of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct. As a result of violations both BBL stars have been fined $10,000 each, with $4,000 suspended for the remainder of the season. According to the statement, both Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have accepted the punishment dished out to them.

Both Lynn and Lawrence were allowed to take the field against Sydney Thunder while under investigation on December 14 but had to use a different changing room. They also weren’t allowed in the team dugout and the team huddle and had to maintain social distancing during on-field celebrations.

The incident was cricket’s first COVID-19 protocol breach – after the WBBL tournament and two international white-ball series between Australia and India were played without incident.