The Indian team management has agreed to abide by all biosecurity protocols upon reaching Sydney on Monday for the third Test of the series. This comes after speculation over the team’s reluctance to adhere to stringent protocols in the fourth Test in Brisbane.
Sydney, which hosted two ODIs and two T20Is earlier in the tour, now has more stringent protocols for players because there has been a spurt in Covid-19 cases around the city. “The Indian squad has been handed the protocols. The team management has agreed to it and all players and support staff have been asked not to go out of the hotel except for scheduled training. The team has also been asked to follow all social-distancing practices,” a BCCI said on Monday. Earlier, the players were allowed to go for walk-arounds and outdoor meals.
The entire squad - including the five players who were placed in ‘isolation’ for having dined in an indoor restaurant in Melbourne - tested negative for Covid-19 after undergoing RT-PCR tests before travelling to Sydney. The squad is likely to undergo another round of tests before the Test match begins on January 7.
The BCCI is in touch with Cricket Australia over the arrangements in Brisbane, where the teams are likely to be put in quarantine. Sources said that there has never been any doubt over Brisbane hosting the final Test of the tour. The Indian team management hasn’t been handed the protocols for the fourth Test yet. However, there is talk of offering some relaxation to the players in Brisbane. “Putting the players into hard quarantine in Brisbane is a bit tough. We have been told they won’t even be allowed to leave their rooms other than travelling to the grounds. Like in Sydney, the team should have access to the hotel floors too,” a senior BCCI official said.
As for the ‘investigation’ to find out whether Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw had breached any protocol, board sources claimed it’s safe to assume that the negative tests will settle the matter. On Monday, CA’s interim CEO Nick Hockley gave a statement saying there has been no objection to protocols. “We speak to our counterparts at the BCCI daily. We have had nothing formal from the BCCI to suggest anything other than they’re supportive,” Hockley said.
