BCCI make request for family pass for Australia tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a request to allow players to take their families with them to Australia for India’s tour down under later this year. As things stand, CA has not agreed to allow family members in the touring party citing Covid-19 protocols, which will see the team spend […]
 
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BCCI make request for family pass for Australia tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a request to allow players to take their families with them to Australia for India’s tour down under later this year. 

As things stand, CA has not agreed to allow family members in the touring party citing Covid-19 protocols, which will see the team spend the entire tour in a bio-secure bubble, but several Indian players are understood to be unhappy with the arrangement.

The CA has more or less finalised the schedule and in all likelihood, it could be made public by Thursday. The revised schedule will now see the limited-overs matches take place in Sydney and Canberra instead of Brisbane, which is unlikely to host even the fourth Test, because of the quarantine rules in Queensland. 

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When CA asked for the touring party, the BCCI had sent around 50 names for clearance. The Indian players were under the impression that they can take the family members along, but CA is understood to be in no mood to negotiate because of Covid-19 protocols. 

In fact, a couple of Indian players are understood to have informed the BCCI that it will be difficult for them to tour Australia without family members as many of them have spent nearly 60 days in the bio-secure bubble and a repeat of this will take a toll mentally.

BCCI make request for family pass for Australia tour
BCCI make request for family pass for Australia tour

India last toured Australia in 2018/19, winning their first Test series on Australian soil

The BCCI has informed the players that talks are underway with CA, but so far none of them have received any guarantee. The chances of a couple of players pulling out if the family isn’t allowed hasn’t been ruled out by those in the BCCI. Moreover, the players are also unhappy about the need to stay in a bio-secure bubble throughout the tour. 

Sporting events are taking place in Australia with 50 per cent crowds in most stadiums. Considering places like Australian Capital Territory and Adelaide have not had a Covid-19 case in the last six weeks, the players are unhappy about the regulation to stay in the bubble throughout the tour as most of the cities have opened up. 

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But CA has so far not been able to convince their local health authorities who are reportedly not keen on relaxing the rules for the Indian contingent. CA believes if it allows Indian players to bring their families, it will only complicate the logistics of living in a bubble. 

According to reliable sources, there are certain restrictions wherein, if any of the touring party tests positive for Covid-19, the entire team has to be placed under quarantine, which will put the entire tour in jeopardy. 

Meanwhile, Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari and the rest of the support staff are tentatively scheduled to leave for Dubai on Sunday. They will be placed under a six-day quarantine before being allowed to train the following week. They will be stationed in Dubai for two weeks before leaving together at the end of the IPL.

Source: The New Indian Express