‘Will find a way to send back foreign players’
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel on Tuesday said the BCCI will “find a way” to arrange for the return of foreign players after the league was suspended indefinitely due to a COVID-19 outbreak in its biobubble.
The suspension of the league was announced after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha tested positive for COVID-19 along with Delhi Capitals’ veteran spinner Amit Mishra.
“We need to send them home and we will find a way to do that,” Brijesh told PTI when asked how will the foreigners return home but did not elaborate beyond that.
The foreigners involved in the lucrative league are concerned about returning to their respective countries due to travel restrictions imposed in the wake of a deadly resurgence of the pandemic in India.
The BCCI had assured foreign players of a safe return earlier as well.
On Monday, cricketerturned-commentator Michael Slater, who was doing commentary in the IPL, escaped to Maldives and launched a scathing attack on his country’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison for not allowing its citizens to return from India, calling the travel ban, till May 15, a “disgrace”.
Australia has shut its borders and not allowing any commercial flights from India because of the massive COVID-19 surge here which has led to all the players, support staff and commentators, who might have wanted to leave the IPL midway in a fix.
“If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect,” Slater tweeted.
A coupe of days back, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell said that the cricketers from his country wouldn’t mind travelling in the same chartered flight that would take India, New Zealand, and England players to the UK after the IPL.
India and New Zealand are set to play the final of the World Test Championship from June 18 and will fly to England after the completion of IPL.
On Monday, Chennai Super Kings bowling coach L Balaji along with Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers Sandeep Warrier and Varun Chakravarthy had also returned positive results.
Star on board
Star India, the official broadcaster, on Tuesday supported BCCI’s decision. “Star India supports BCCI’s decision to postpone IPL 2021. The health and safety of players, staff and everyone involved in the IPL are of paramount importance. We thank the BCCI, IPL Governing Council, players, franchisees and sponsors for their support,” Star India said in a statement hours after the BCCI decision.
The broadcasters also said that it was “indebted” to its employees, on-air talent, production and broadcast crews for delivering the broadcast to millions of houses in these challenging times. “We are also indebted to our employees, on-air talent, production, and broadcast crews for trying their best to spread positivity by delivering the broadcast of IPL 2021 to millions of homes in the face of challenging circumstances,” the statement added.
Earlier, an official statement had said that the BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL