There are fears Australian cricketers Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson may be stranded in Mumbai after the Australian government suspended all passenger flights from India amid the country’s worsening coronavirus crisis.
Zampa and Richardson pulled out of their contracts with IPL club Royal Challengers Bangalore and were due to fly to Australia on Tuesday.
The pair intended to return via Doha but Sporting News understands they are currently in Mumbai and may be forced to remain in either India or Qatar until restrictions are lifted, although some uncertainty remains over whether they can still board a flight to Doha.
The current ban on passenger flights will be in place until at least May 15.
Sporting News understands Zampa and Richardson left the IPL’s bio-secure bubble on Sunday. The RCB squad flew from Chennai to Ahmedabad, which is the hub for the next round of matches, on Monday.
The pair would not be able to re-enter the bubble until completing a mandatory six-day quarantine and, after opting out of their contracts with RCB, it is unclear if they will be able to reunite with the club in any case.
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AJ Tye returned to Australia via Doha on Monday after pulling out of his season with the Rajasthan Royals.
"The bubble is very safe and very contained so we didn't really have too much idea what was going on other than what we were seeing on the TV or on social media really," Tye told The Project from his hotel quarantine in Sydney
"I think it was the fact that things were happening in Australia, with hotel quarantine cases being so rough with cases from India. And then governments, state governments, sort of saying they want to back out of having flights from India land or cut down the number of people coming in from India.
"So, yeah, I made a pretty, pretty swift decision for me to jump on the next flight I could get out and get home, Some of them are definitely worried.
"Obviously, some are trying to get out and others are quite happy and content to stay there and see the IPL out.
"I respect each and every one's individual decisions and that's their prerogative and I did what was best for me."
In a decision making things more difficult for Australia's India-based cricketers, the option of flying from India via a third country has also been ruled out under the government’s new restrictions.
Cricket Australia are liaising with the Australian Cricketers Association and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to establish what options are available and ensure the safety of both Zampa and Richardson.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said around 40 Australian players, media and coaching staff currently in the IPL containment bubble would not be prioritised whenever repatriation flights are resumed.
"It’s done on vulnerability," said Morrison.
"And they’ve travelled there privately under those arrangements.
"This wasn’t part of an Australian tour and they’re under their own resources and they’ll be using those resources, I’m sure, to see them returned to Australia in accordance with our own arrangements."
