If recent reports are to be believed, then the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has been requested to reduce the quarantine period of the IPL bound England and Australia players upon their arrival in the UAE.
The players from both teams are playing a limited-overs series in the UK and will travel to the UAE directly from Manchester. Around 21 players will be boarding a chartered flight and reach UAE on September 17. Then they are to stay in a mandatory quarantine period of six days before they can join their squads.
However, as per a senior BCCI official, one of the overseas superstars has requested the BCCI boss to reduce their quarantine period from six to three days. In a way, he has been the voice of all the foreign players who are eager to join their squads and not miss a single game.
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“Yes, the BCCI president has received a request. It may have been written by one of the players but it is something that all the English and Australian players, who are coming from the UK, feel,” a senior IPL source told PTI.
“Australia and then in UK, it’s only logical that “they be allowed to enter from one bio-bubble to another” as they haven’t been in contact with the outside world” the senior official further added.
Sourav Ganguly Wasn’t Available For Comments On the Matter
Meanwhile, Ganguly who is also in the UAE to oversee the preparations for the smooth conduct of the IPL, wasn’t available for a comment on the matter.
The players stayed at the Hilton hotel both in Southampton and Manchester, which is a part of the stadium. They were tested every fifth day during the ongoing series. They will be tested before their departure from the UK and upon their arrival in the UAE as well on the first and third day of arrival.
Meanwhile, not even the housekeepers were allowed to enter the hotel rooms of the players in the UK. So they have a point in asking for a reduction, the BCCI said, however, he did not give a final word on if the request will be considered.
KKR have three players namely, Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton and Pat Cummins among the group of players coming from the UK. Sunrisers Hyderabad gave their skipper David Warner and batting partner Jonny Bairstow waiting to join their squad.
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Rajasthan Royals have Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Steve Smith, Tom Curran and Ben Stokes to join them. With Stokes almost certain to miss the initial games for Rajasthan, the availability of Buttler, Smith and Archer becomes crucial.
CSK also has two players from the group to join them, namely Sam Curran and Josh Hazlewood.
