Australian cricket duo back home from India
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Policemen outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday during an IPL match played behind closed doors. The T20 cricket tournament is held across six venues in a bio-secure bubble.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
MELBOURNE • Australian cricketers Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson flew out of India after withdrawing from the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid growing concerns over the Covid-19 crisis in the country.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates arrived home yesterday, the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) said.
There were concerns the pair were stranded after the Australian government suspended flights from India until May 15 to prevent virulent Covid-19 variants from entering the country.
Australian media reported they had secured seats on a charter plane organised by another party but an ACA spokesman said they had boarded a regular commercial flight via Doha and had booked their tickets before the suspension.
India's Covid-19 infections yesterday crossed the 18 million mark with almost 380,000 new cases, breaking another world record for new daily infections, while the death toll has surged past 204,000 amid shortages of hospital beds and oxygen.
The IPL is scheduled to end on May 30 and the ACA said on Wednesday it was having "conversations" with governing body Cricket Australia and the Australian government on how to repatriate cricketers from India at the end of the IPL.
About 40 Australians have chosen to stay, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said they will not be allowed to jump the queue for repatriation flights.
IPL organisers have faced mounting criticism from pundits and on social media for pushing ahead with the tournament which is being played in a bio-secure bubble.
Scores of police guard the barricaded gates of grounds every night as part of the restrictions.
A senior Indian cricket board official has said the IPL will continue as it was providing solace and entertainment during the hard times.
Australia speedster Pat Cummins, one of those staying put, also understands how grim India's battle is but does not believe suspending the IPL will help matters.
"We are doing everything we can to make sure we don't take any resources out of the front line," the Kolkata Knight Riders star said.
"There's an aspect that us playing every night hopefully contributes to making people stay at home more, or... can help them get through each day."
REUTERS
