Reports citing sources say players from India could refuse to travel to Brisbane if they are to be subjected to a strict lockdown.
Australia’s test series schedule against India has come under threat after reports on Sunday that visitors are unhappy with the prospect of re-entering strict quarantine for the fourth test in Brisbane.
The third test of the four-match series is scheduled to begin in Sydney on Thursday after Cricket Australia decided not to move the match in the wake of an outbreak of Covid-19 cases on the city’s northern beaches. On Monday, both squads will fly to New South Wales, which reported eight new locally transmitted cases of the virus and increased social distancing measures on Sunday.
The state of Queensland has closed its border with Greater Sydney and, although an agreement has been reached to allow players to fly to Brisbane for the fourth test on January 15, there is uncertainty about the level of restrictions they would face after having been in Sydney.
Reports in the Australian media, citing sources within the touring group, said that Indian players, many of whom have been in some form of quarantine for six months, would refuse to travel if subjected to a strict lockdown. A spokesperson for the India team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.
The Indian players spent 14 days in strict quarantine after arriving in Australia, but have since enjoyed more freedom as they prepare and play matches in Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. However, there are still some restrictions, and five Indian players were placed in isolation on Saturday after video surfaced showing them eating inside a Melbourne restaurant on New Year’s Day. The Australian and Indian cricket boards are investigating the alleged violation of biosecurity protocols with precedents suggesting that players could be fined for their actions.
Sydney, who at one point appeared to lose Test 3 to Melbourne, would be the most likely beneficiary if it were decided to move Game 4 from Brisbane.
The Acting Prime Minister of the State of New South Wales, John Barilaro, told reporters on Sunday that the government was focusing on conducting the third test safely in front of a crowd of up to 20,000 fans. “We are going to commit to the proof that we have,” he said. “If an opportunity presents itself, we will seize it then.”
Matthew Wade said Australian players had been told that protocols would be stricter in Brisbane, but rejected the idea that there is now uncertainty about the schedule. “There is a lot of talk out there, but for us as a group and for my position personally, we will go to Sydney and play SCG and then we will go to Brisbane and play Gabba,” he told reporters. “Until the powers that be knocking on the door and telling us that is going to change, we just move on to the next game …”
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