In the BBL-12 season-opener at Manuka Oval on Tuesday night, fans saw what Twenty20 cricket can be at its best, and that was despite two cricket big names - Joe Burns and Marcus Stoinis - playing through a COVID-19 infection.

It wasn't long ago that such a scenario, hours before the first ball no less, would have led to a logistical disaster for players, teams, venues, and cricket officials alike, amid ever-changing COVID-19 protocols.

It was just earlier this year in January in Perth that the Stars were forced to field a mish-mash team of new faces when 18 squad members, including 10 players contracted COVID-19.

Now it's a whole new world.

Both Melbourne Stars players were transported to the ground on Tuesday in separate vehicles and prepared in change rooms away from their team.

The BBL will endeavour to have a third change room option at venues for similar scenarios should they arise through the season.

Burns and Stoinis then put their hand up to bat in the opening innings, though at the break decided not to take on fielding duties.

Before batting both sat by the boundary a healthy distance away from any other players until they entered the match.

Burns was unlucky in copping a hamstring injury during his time at the crease and was forced to retire hurt, and Stoinis got out for a duck first ball, but the duo still played.

"They're alright. Burnsy had a rough day with the hamstring and [COVID-19] as well, so he'll be pretty flat. Same with Stoin," stand-in Stars captain Adam Zampa said post-match.

"I just don't think [Stoinis] was quite up for it with the ball.

"He warmed up to bowl with the potential to do it if he felt up to it. It's a punt.

"I had COVID five or six weeks ago and it was freezing cold in Perth and I just remember feeling that the colder it got, the more I felt my body ache."

The Stars pair didn't look all too comfortable sitting out by the rope huddled under blankets as the temperature dipped in Canberra into the evening, however it probably won't be the last time that scene plays out in the BBL this season.

After all the virus is still present in the community.

For teams the priority behind the scenes is simply to limit the damage COVID-19 could potentially do to a squad if it tears through the locker rooms, leaving teams short players for matches.

"It is a little bit weird, but something we're getting used to now," Zampa said after the loss.

"It's happened quite a bit already this summer through the World Cup.

"So it's something that we don't really speak about - it's just a quick message saying these guys have tested positive, stay away and they'll be in a separate room, and then it's game on from then."

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