Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s interim CEO has dismissed speculation that India is considering a boycott of the 4th Test in Brisbane as they need to re-enter strict quarantine conditions.
Australian media, citing unnamed sources within India’s touring party, reported the team’s players are refusing to travel to Brisbane if they are subjected to a gruelling lockdown in Queensland state.
Nick Hockley: BCCI Fully Supportive Of Cricket Australia’s Quarantine Norms As Both Teams Wanted To Play As Per Schedule
Nick Hockley said the Indian cricket board (BCCI) was fully supportive of quarantine requirements in Queensland and CA and BCCI are in touch with each other.
“We speak to our counterparts at the BCCI daily,” he told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
“We’ve had nothing formal from the BCCI to suggest anything other than they’re supportive … Both teams have wanted to play the schedule as we’ve set out.”
The third test in the four-match Test series will commence at Sydney Cricket Ground after Cricket Australia decided not to move the match elsewhere in the wake of a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 in the outskirts of the city.
Queensland has closed its border with New South Wales, where Sydney is the capital, but agreed to let the players travel to Brisbane for the fourth test commencing January 15, as long as they agree to abide by strict biosecurity protocols in Queensland state. Nick Hockley, however, said BCCI is fully supportive and that both teams are willing to carry out the series as planned.
Nathan Lyon: It’s A Small Sacrifice For Cricketers To Be In Bio Bubble For Close To 6 Months
Five Indian players including Rohit Sharma are under investigation by CA and the BCCI for a potential breach of health protocols after a video surfaced of them dining at a Melbourne restaurant.
BCCI have declined to publicly affirm their support for the Brisbane quarantine plan or comment on the investigation, although the BCCI said in a brief statement on Monday that all players and staff had been cleared of COVID-19 as they have been found negative.
Australia spin bowler Nathan Lyon called on players from both the teams to not complain about touring in the COVID-19 bubble for a long time as it’s a small sacrifice.
“There’s a few people from both squads who have been in a bubble for close to six months now but in my eyes it’s a very small sacrifice,” he told reporters on Monday.
“Let’s just suck it up and get on with it.”
Indian players were busy playing IPL 2020 from September 19 while Australia team played against England from 4th September in the aftermath of Covid-19 which led to cancellations and postponements of many series.
The four-test series is level at 1-1 after India bounced back to winning ways from a loss in day-night Test at Adelaide to beat Australia by eight wickets in Melbourne last week.