India bid for shorter quarantine won’t fly

India will have to abide by Australia’s 14-day quarantine requirement ahead of the Test series starting in December but arrangements will be made to ensure their players can prepare as well as possible, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.

The Indian board’s chief Sourav Ganguly said earlier in July he hoped Virat Kohli’s side could have their quarantine “reduced a bit” before the first Test in Brisbane from December 3.

Australia requires international arrivals to isolate in quarantine hotels due to the Covid19 pandemic, though some have been allowed to pass the period at home.

CA interim CEO Nick Hockley suggested there was little prospect of India’s players having a shorter quarantine.

“It’s widely known and unlikely international travel restriction will have lifted by the time India are due to come into the country,” he told reporters on a video call.

“I think the two-week quarantine is pretty well defined.

“What we’re working on is making sure that within that quarantine environment, the players have got the best training facilities so that their preparation for the matches is as optimal as it can possibly be.”

Hockley said Australia was closely watching the West Indies tour of England, which has gone off largely without a hitch, apart from fast bowler Joffra Archer’s breach of the team’s biosecurity protocols.

The Adelaide Oval, with an attached hotel, is a potential venue for India to train during quarantine.