BCCI president and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has defended Team India head coach Ravi Shastri for attending a book launch event in London ahead of the fourth Test. Ganguly has stated that the board will not take any action against Shastri for the same. Ganguly, however, has clarified that Shastri and other team India members did not take the board's approval for attending the event. However, he has clarified that the board is not considering taking any action against Shastri for the same. 


Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli with some other team India members, attended a book launch event before the fourth Test. Several pictures from the event went viral on social media. The case took a serious turn when Shastri was reported to be Covid positive before the fourth Test. Many believe that it was irresponsible behavior on the part of Shastri and other team India members attending the public event. It is said that Shastri and other team India support staff got infected with Covid as a result of attending this event.


What Ganguly said in defense 



Sourav Ganguly defended Shastri and other Team India members for attending the event and said, "How long can you stay locked in your hotel room? Can you stay locked in your house day and night? From the hotel to the cricket ground and then back to the hotel, you can't live life like this."

 

At the same time, Ganguly said, "I have come here today after shooting for an episode of my program 'Dadagiri'. About 100 people were present at the shooting location. Everyone has received both doses of the vaccine. However, you can't guarantee anything even after that. Covid has also been reported in people who have been administered both doses of the vaccine. Life is such these days. 

 

Shastri was found to be infected with Covid before the fourth Test 

 

India head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar were found to be infected with Covid before the fourth Test. Before the start of the fifth Test, the Covid report of Yogesh Parmar, junior physio of Team India's support staff, came positive. After which, as a precaution, Team India players refused to play the fifth Test. The final Test of the five-Test series between India and England was scheduled to be played at Old Trafford.