Kolkata: A contingent of 38 Australian players and staff - including superstars Steve Smith, David Warner and Pat Cummins - are left in limbo after the suspension of Indian Premier League midway on Tuesday while New Zealand are trying to evacuate their players through UK.
Cricket Australia said plans were under way to fly the contingent to Maldives or Sri Lanka in the next “two to three days” and bide time as they are banned from returning Down Under until at least till May 15 after Canberra slammed shut its borders and threatened anyone entering from India with jail time.
The group is likely to be chartered back to Australia once the ban has been lifted, with the help of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“The BCCI is working through arrangements to repatriate all the players, the support staff, and umpires commentators as quickly and safely as possible,” said Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s interim CEO.
They are “working to move the entire cohort out of India... the BCCI has been working on a range of options. That’s now narrowed down to the Maldives and Sri Lanka.”
The group departing India, however, will not include Michael Hussey, the Chennai Super Kings batting coach, who has tested positive for coronavirus and will remain in isolation.
“His symptoms are relatively mild,” said Todd Greenberg, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive. “So he’s okay, he’s in for a stint of isolation in his hotel room for at least 10 days, but he’s in pretty good spirits.”
The mistake was made in having the tournament in India in the first place. Six months ago, they held an IPL in the United Arab Emirates and it went brilliantly. Covid rates were low and no bubbles were compromised. They could have returned there
Warner posted a drawing of his family made by one of his daughters on Instagram, with a heart-covered caption reading: “Please Daddy come home straight away. We miss you a lot and love you.”
Many of New Zealand’s top players are trying to travel to the United Kingdom where they are due to play a Test series against England next month before contesting the World Test Championship against India.
New Zealand Cricket said it was trying to organise a charter for Test players Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner, as well as three players signed to English county sides.
Britain is currently only allowing its own citizens to travel home from India but a New Zealand Cricket spokesman said “we’re confident of getting border exemptions.”
He added another charter flight was possible to transport players, support staff and TV commentators home to New Zealand.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa said that they were in contact with their players and support staff, working to bring them home.
“It has been unedifying at times watching this tournament when people are dying just up the road,” said former England captain Nasser Hussain in his column in Daily Mail.
“The mistake was made in having the tournament in India in the first place. Six months ago, they held an IPL in the United Arab Emirates and it went brilliantly. Covid rates were low and no bubbles were compromised. They could have returned there.”
