TEST TENSIONS

Aussies eager to avoid quarantine stoush

AUSTRALIA is hopeful a misunderstanding over quarantine protocols may avert another ‘ Monkeygate’ style showdown with India over the Gabba Test.

Team India on Sunday made an explosive stance with the potential to send the series into chaos, by making private declarations they would not fly to Queensland from NSW if it meant being subjected to strict hotel quarantine.

The reports sent shockwaves through the game, not only because it would leave the already tested schedule in tatters. But because India would instantly assume a major advantage in the 1- 1 Border Gavaskar series by avoiding the Gabbatoir venue they have never won at and Australia has not lost at in 31 years.

India famously held Australia to ransom over the ugly ‘ Monkeygate’ scandal back in 2008, and administrators were last night scrambling to smooth the waters with the allpowerful BCCI at a time when their President Sourav Ganguly is in hospital recovering from a heart attack.

However, following another day of drama in the COVID- hit series, Cricket Australia were last night growing in confidence that a key quarantining provision revealed by Queensland Health on Sunday could avoid a crisis and that the murmurs of discontent coming out of the team on the ground were not reflected by BCCI decision- makers back in Mumbai. Under a proposal that Cricket Australia and Queensland Health officials want to sign off on, Indian and Australian players would be free to mingle in a “Cricket Hotel” in Brisbane because they will also be in contact with each other during the match and would not be locked in their individual rooms.

“We’ve worked with them so that they can have bubbles within that hotel,” Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said on Sunday. “They’re going to be going and playing with colleagues in the match, so they’re going to have exposure there. But they can’t leave the hotel and they can’t go out in the general community.”

In another apparent breakthrough, cricket sources last night said Queensland would not force Australian cricketers, coaches and officials to serve out the final six days of their 14 days in quarantine after the Brisbane Test finishes.

It would allow them to return home, provided those ports will take them.

India are allowed to fly home as soon as the series is finished.

Australia has booked out an entire Brisbane hotel, which should mean players can roam around including in pool and outdoor facilities. Queensland categorically ruled out any chance they would soften their stance on quarantine for players, but it’s hoped the source of frustration coming out of the Indian camp was based on their understanding they would be confined to their rooms again as they were when they first came into the country.

Deputy Opposition leader in Queensland, and former NRL ref Tim Mander told the Indians if they didn’t like the arrangements then bugger off.

Dr Young expressed hope NSW was getting on top of its COVID- 19 situation, but ruled out any chance of giving players a free pass from quarantine.

“We’ve been quite firm,” Dr Young said.

Matthew Wade denied that Australian players were also frustrated about having to quarantine in Queensland.

But he admitted it would be a massive advantage to India if the Gabba Test was cancelled and the last two Tests were at the spin friendly SCG.

“Yeah it could ( change the shape of the series). Our record is very good there and we tend to play good cricket there,” said Wade.

“There’s no secrets.

“We love the Gabba and we want to get there.”