Finance
By: Shree1news, 02 JAN 2021
5 India Test players, including vice-captain Rohit Sharma, opener Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, have been placed in isolation and an investigation launched into a possible breach of the COVID-19 bio-security protocol by them, Cricket Australia mentioned on Saturday.
This was after a fan put out a video of the players eating at an indoor restaurant on Twitter on Friday. He claimed to have been seated near them and also talked about getting a hug from Pant after he paid for the players’ meal. He later retracted the claim about the hug after it raised severe questions on a breach of protocol.
investigation launched into a possible breach of the COVID-19 bio-security protocol by them, Cricket Australia mentioned on Saturday.
The BCCI brass had initially ruled out any investigation after reports of possible breach first appeared in the media right here, however Cricket Australia’s late statement said a joint probe is on and the 5 have been isolated from the team.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia (CA) were today alerted to a video post on social media that purported to point out Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini consuming at an indoor venue in Melbourne on New Yr’s Day,” CA mentioned in a statement.
India and Australia are engaged in a four-Test sequence proper now and the third match is due to begin on January 7 in Sydney.
As per protocol, players are allowed to eat out in outdoor settings, following social distancing norms.
“The BCCI and CA are investigating the matter and seeking to find out whether the outing constitutes a breach of bio-security protocols.”
The isolation protocols have been put in place after consulting with medical teams.
“…on the advice of the Australian and Indian medical groups, the aforementioned players have been placed in isolation as a precaution.
“This will include separating the group of players from the broader Indian and Australian squads when travelling and at the training venue,” CA further said.
However, the players will be permitted to train in accordance with the protocols that have been put in place.
It is understood that as per bio-security protocols provided by Cricket Australia, gamers were advised to not have meals at indoor restaurants. They’re alleged to not avail any public transport however allowed a walk around the cities where they’re playing.
Questions are now being raised as to whether the administrative manager and the cricket operations level person, who’re looking after all of the modalities, have been conscious about the players’ movement and made them conscious concerning the specific rules for eating out.
Rohit had recently accomplished 14 days of hard quarantine in Sydney and started training in Melbourne only a few days back.
Earlier, a senior Indian cricket board official advised PTI that the visiting contingent is “well aware” of the COVID-19 protocols and had not violated any of them.
“No, there has been no breach in bio-security protocols. Everyone related to the Indian team is well aware of the protocols,” the senior BCCI official had stated in the morning.
“We can only term it as a malicious spin by a section of Australian media and this has started after their humiliating defeat,” he added.
India crushed Australia by eight wickets in the second Test in Melbourne, making an incredible comeback days after the debacle in the four-match series opener in Adelaide.
The bio-security bubbles have been put in place to make sure that the players are not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world for months now, with parts of Australia reporting fresh outbreaks in recent times.
This had also put the future of the third Test in Sydney in doubt before CA clarified that it will not be shifted to Melbourne.
The match will start on January 7 and the two teams will arrive in Sydney a couple of days before the scheduled start.
Source:A-N
