The Indian team is not interested in traveling to Brisbane for the fourth test

India has expressed its reluctance to travel to Brisbane for the fourth test in case further restrictions are imposed. Their skepticism about traveling to Queensland stems from reports that they could be forced back into a hard blockade, with their movement severely restricted.

Visitors have been very clear since they arrived in Australia that once they have finished their initial 14-day quarantine at the start of the tour, they will be treated like anyone else in Australia in terms of freedom of movement. And now fearing that they would once again be in a less porous bubble that would likely limit their travel from hotel to stadium and back to Brisbane via Sydney, Indians are more willing to stay away.

“If you look at it, we were quarantined for 14 days in Dubai before landing in Sydney and we did it for another 14 days. That means we were in a hard bubble for almost a month before leaving. What we don’t want now is to go back to quarantine at the end of the tour, “a source from the Indian team told Cricbuzz.

The official added that while they have cooperated with the protocols that Cricket Australia (CA) and the different state governments have established for them, they do not want to be “fooled” now and would rather play the last two test matches. In the same place.

“We are not interested in going to Brisbane if it means being stuck in the hotel again, except to go to the ground. Instead, we do not mind being in another city, playing the two test matches there to complete the series and come back. home, “he added.

As it stands, the Indian team is scheduled to travel to Sydney on Monday (January 4), train for two days, and then start the third test at SCG on Thursday (January 7). They are then ready to receive waivers along with some of the broadcast staff to travel to Queensland on a chartered flight, even though the state has closed its borders to New South Wales, which has yet to recover from the Covid outbreak. 19 on the northern beaches. four weeks ago.

Seven new cases of community transmission were reported in New South Wales on Saturday (January 2), leading to the announcement that masks became mandatory again in most public places. In recent days, both South Australia and Victoria have announced severe border closures with New South Wales.

It is unlikely then that Queensland will reconsider its own border closure with NSW in time for the two teams’ scheduled departure to Brisbane, who will then travel on the special waivers that CA had discussed last week. And that would mean exactly the kind of hotel quarantine the Indian team wants to avoid.

“We understand the complexity of what is currently happening. Cricket Australia and we have cooperated at every step with regard to following the protocols within the bubble. But we expected to be treated along the same lines as ‘normal Australians’ in terms of restrictions an We once completed that initial quarantine in Sydney, “the source said.

This comes in the wake of reports of five Indian players allegedly breaking the bubble by dining at an indoor restaurant with one of them hugging a member of the public. A press release from CA has indicated that the incident will be further investigated to see if there was a violation.

The Indians were given a freer life when they emerged from their hotel quarantine on November 26. And before Saturday, there had been no reports of them not following protocols. There are also concerns about Sydney within the Indian camp in terms of whether they will have the same level of freedom they had during the first leg of this tour.

“All we’re saying is the guys have been in various blocking and bubble states for almost six months. And it hasn’t been easy for anybody. If you look at it, we’re one of only two teams that haven’t had a problem while we’re on tour during this pandemic. After all this time, what we don’t want is to be sent to another hard bubble, which seems to be the case in Brisbane, “said the source.