Cricket Australia scrambles to evacuate stranded players and staff out of Covid-stricken India to quarantine in the Maldives or Sri Lanka before flying home after the IPL was suspended
Australian cricketers and staff stranded in coronavirus-ravaged India will escape to the Maldives or Sri Lanka following the suspension of the Indian Premier league.
The lucrative IPL tournament featuring the some of world’s biggest stars was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday after multiple players tested positive to coronavirus in recent days.
A 34-strong Australian cricket contingent remains in India including 14 players, 11 coaches, four commentators, two umpires and five support staff, as well as a commentator from New Zealand who lives in Australia.
David Warner, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis and coach Ricky Ponting are among 9,000 Australians unable to return home until at least May 15 due to a travel ban enforced by the federal government.
They will spend at least 10 days in Maldives or Sri Lanka until May 15 and will then have to quarantine for 14 days once they return to Australia.
‘We’re not seeking any kind of special exemptions whatsoever,’ Cricket Australia interim CEO Nick Hockley told reporters on Wednesday.
‘We will – any kind of quarantine arrangements would be over and above the cap. So our main priority is we would work with the Australian Government and the relevant state governments to make sure that we’re not taking spaces of anyone else that’s available.’
More to come.
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