Australian cricketers who were playing in the postponed IPL will head to the Maldives, where they will wait for government clearance to return to Australia.
The BCCI has chartered a flight for nearly forty players, coaching staff, umpires and media stranded in India in the wake of the IPL’s collapse. Sporting News understands the flight is scheduled to leave sometime on Thursday and the group will stay in a bubble until at least May 15, when the current restrictions on incoming passengers from India are set to be reviewed.
Mike Hussey, who was working as the batting coach for Chennai Super Kings, will remain in quarantine in Delhi after testing positive to Covid-19. He is currently locked down in the team hotel and is experiencing mild symptoms.
The BCCI and IPL franchises are in the process of organising charter flights for all overseas players and staff. Most of the England players have already returned home, while finding routes and schedules for players from other countries poses a number of logistical challenges. Australia is the only country represented at the IPL to ban its own citizens from returning.
BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly, has offered reassurance that the Australian contingent would be offered support in securing a safe passage back to Australia.
“They will all be fine,” Ganguly told the Indian Express. “They are all looked after and they will all reach home. The Australians will reach the Maldives tomorrow, finish their quarantine and then reach Australia safely. So I don’t see any issue.”
Ganguly denied it was a mistake to hold the IPL in India because the England tour had been completed without major incident and case numbers were much lower in February, instead blaming the second wave surge in recent weeks.
"When we decided, the number was not even close to this,” Ganguly said. “We did the England tour successfully.”
"When we decided all this, there was no [Covid spike] in India. So it’s very easy to say now, but when this tournament was organised, Covid numbers were nothing. We started with Mumbai and finished there without any case. And Mumbai was very high then.”
Michael Slater, who was commentating for Star Sports in India, is already in the Maldives. Slater left India before the tournament was postponed but was unable to fly back to Australia before the government announced the ban on any Australian citizens entering the country if they had been in India in the previous 14 days. The former Australian Test opener has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the restrictions on Twitter, directing his anger towards Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
If the Australian government extends the travel ban beyond May 15, the group should still be able to fly to Australia and quarantine for two weeks once they have been outside of India for 14 days.
Cricket Australia interim CEO Nick Hockley said the BCCI had committed to flying the Australians home on a charter flight but emphasised they would not ask for special treatment while an estimated 9,000 Australian citizens remain stranded in India.
"We're not seeking any kind of special exemptions whatsoever," Hockley said. "Any kind of quarantine arrangements would be over and above the cap. So our priority is we would work with the Australian government and the relevant state governments to make sure that we're not taking spaces off anyone else.”
“I can't speak more highly for how the BCCI but also all of the franchises have worked to look after our players and put in plans to make sure that they get home safely and as quickly as possible.”
Australian Cricketers Association CEO Todd Greenberg said players needed to be extra cautious when signing up for overseas tournaments, although the travel ban on incoming citizens is unprecedented in Australia.
"I'm not sure it will create reticence but it will ensure players do their due diligence before they sign agreements," Greenberg said. "The world is literally changing before our eyes particularly with Covid and on that side of the world, obviously, those cases are going up exponentially.
"We're enjoying our freedoms here in Australia. It is a very different place over there. If anything it sends a message to players about making sure you do your homework before making any decisions.”
Cricket Australia and ACA released a statement on Thursday evening confirming the flights to the Maldives.
"Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association can confirm that Australian players, coaches, match officials and commentators have been safely transported from India and are en route to the Maldives," it said.
"The Australians will remain in the Maldives until the conclusion of the travel pause pertaining to flights from India to Australia.
"As previously stated, CA and the ACA are not seeking an exemption from the Australian Government.
"CA and the ACA extend their sincere thanks to the Board of Control for Cricket in India for their responsiveness in moving the Australians from India to the Maldives less than two days after the decision to indefinitely postpone the Indian Premier League.
"Mike Hussey remains in India having tested positive to COVID-19. Mike is experiencing mild symptoms and is in the care of his IPL franchise, the Chennai Super Kings.CA and the ACA will work closely with the BCCI to ensure Mike’s safe return to Australia when it is safe to do so."
