Australian cricketers in India told to find own way home

SYDNEY • Batsman Chris Lynn has requested a charter flight home for Australian players after the Indian Premier League (IPL), News Corp reported yesterday, as a surge in Covid-19 cases prompted Canberra to suspend passenger flights from India.

India has been ravaged by a record-breaking second wave of infections in recent weeks, with an exponential growth in cases and deaths overwhelming hospitals.

Three Australian cricketers - Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye - have already left the IPL, the world's richest Twenty20 tournament, which is taking place in bio-secure conditions behind closed doors in six cities until the end of next month.

Lynn said he asked Cricket Australia for a charter flight when the governing body contacted players about their health and travel plans.

"I texted back that as Cricket Australia make 10 per cent of every IPL contract, was there a chance we could spend that money this year on a charter flight once the tournament is over?" Lynn, who plays for the Mumbai Indians, told News Corp.

However, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned that there will be no special treatment for cricketers and if they wanted to come home, it would be on their own accord.

Lynn was speaking before Australia yesterday suspended flights from India until at least May 15.

"They (cricketers) have travelled there privately under those arrangements, this wasn't part of an Australian tour," Mr Morrison said. "They are under their own resources and they'll be using those resources, I'm sure, to seek to return to Australia in accordance with our own arrangements."

Highlighting the conditions in India, Australia's David Warner posted a picture on Instagram of himself and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson in blue protective suits and masks on a flight to Delhi.

"I know there are people worse off than us... We are not asking for shortcuts and we signed up knowing the risks," Lynn said. "But it would be great to get home as soon as the event is over."

Other foreign stars like England batsman Liam Livingstone have returned home, while India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has also withdrawn to support his family as the country staggers under 350,000 new infections and almost 3,000 deaths each day.

The IPL has come in for media criticism, with a leading Indian newspaper group calling it "commercialism gone crass" and "incongruous", with pressure building to scrap the remainder of the tournament amid the growing crisis.

But despite the pullouts, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly insisted the show will go on.

"So far, it's going on as scheduled," he said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS