India reportedly continue to stand firm on their decision to not traveling to Brisbane, Queensland, and be forced into stricter hotel quarantine as a media report states that the BCCI has officially written to Cricket Australia ‘to advise them they do not want to travel to Brisbane’, putting the Brisbane Test in further doubt.
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As per foxsports.com, India have reportedly demanded the Brisbane Test be moved), and that they are willing to play the fourth Test in Sydney itself or any other city. The report had earlier attributed the information to sports broadcaster Jimmy Smith, before claiming it as ‘unconfirmed reports’. The report adds that Cricket Australia is chasing clarification from the BCCI.
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BREAKING NEWS | @ThatJimmySmith has been told that the @BCCI has officially written to @CricketAus to formally advise the Indian team does not want to travel to Brisbane to play at the Gabba— Breakfast with Vossy (@VossySEN) January 6, 2021
Queensland has closed its border with New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital, but agreed to let the players travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test on Jan. 15, as long as they agree to abide by strict biosecurity protocols. The team and BCCI had declined to publicly affirm their support for the Brisbane quarantine plan.
On Wednesday, Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane has said that the players are focusing on the game, and the decision on Brisbane Test will be taken by the officials. “We as players are just focussing on this Test match and management, they will make the decision. For us, it’s all about giving our best on the field," Rahane as said.
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As per sources, the BCCI and CA top brass are currently engaged in a discussion on possible relaxations that the players can get in Queensland." If players are together in the field then how can they just be confined to the rooms on coming back to the hotel. At least they can interact with each other and have meals together in the evening," a BCCI source had said as quoted by PTI.
Brisbane Test- india stand hasn’t changed. Exactly what we had said. Team says if they spend 11 hours together at the ground they are already exposed to each other so why confined to rooms in hotel. They want to go to each other’s rooms and conduct meetings in a designated space.— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) January 6, 2021
There has been plenty of criticism of the Indian players and team by current and former Australian players over the unwillingness of the Indian board to make their players go through a hard quarantine before playing the final Test in Brisbane. Nathan Lyon, Andrew Symonds, and Matthew Wade have all attacked the Indian team for the hesitation to play at The Gabba after going through a stringent quarantine.
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