Team India Likely To Be Placed Under 2-Week Quarantine Ahead Of Test Series Against Australia: Report

Cricket Australia is leaving no stone unturned to guarantee the safety of the visiting Indian team and prevent them from contracting the Covid-19 infection, which has become a worldwide health pandemic.

Indian Cricket Team (Image: Getty)

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly's request for a shorter quarantine period for the Indian cricket team ahead of their scheduled 4-match Test series against Australia seems to not have been accepted by the Australian cricket board, as Cricket Australia's Chief Executive Nick Hockley said on Tuesday that the Indian players and staff are likely to be placed in a 14-day quarantine period ahead of the commencement of the Test series. Cricket Australia is leaving no stone unturned to guarantee the safety of the visiting Indian team and prevent them from contracting the Covid-19 infection, which has become a worldwide health pandemic. The Australian Board made it amply clear that it in line with the newly framed ICC guidelines which ensures cricketing activities to take place in a bio-secure bubble. This scenario will bring the Adelaide Oval and its newly constructed hotel firmly into view as the sort of biosecure bubble, ESPNCricinfo reported. Earlier, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had requested for a shorter quarantine period for the team's tour Down Under suggesting he doesn't want players 'to go that far and sit in hotel rooms', but the request has reportedly been denied. "Whether it's a hotel on-site or hotels in close proximity to venues, it's certainly about creating that environment where we are minimising risk of infections and creating a biosecure environment is the absolute priority. There's a huge amount at stake if we are unable to do that. Certainly the fact that the Adelaide Oval has a hotel...it does provide a facility not dissimilar to Old Trafford or Ageas Bowl where the hotels are integrated into venue.", said Hockley. "It's widely known and it's unlikely that international travel restrictions would have lifted by the time that India will be due to come into the country. Clearly there will be testing regimes. We will be able to test people before that they get on to the plane and it is the nature of the situation of making sure we have the quarantine arrangements in line with government and health authority protocols. The key thing for the players is that there's regular testing and that we appropriately quarantine them when they come in and all of those plans are currently in development.", Hockley said Cricket Australia director Hockley added that the hosting of 2021 T20 World cup will be mutually decided by the Cricket Australia and BCCI. "In terms of 21 versus 22, we just want to see two great events go ahead in India and Australia," Hockley said. "If it's 21, then the plans are really, really well progressed so we're really well-placed to deliver that event. If it's 2022, it gives a little more time to create even more certainty around the health situation because I think no one knows how long this is going to last."