India tour of Australia: Cricket Australia has given strong hints around keeping a two-week quarantine period before India’s tour of Australia.
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Cricket Australia’s acting chief executive Nick Hockley sounds unperturbed with respect to which T20 World Cup World Cup Australia will host in the next two years.
Despite the ICC T20 World Cup getting postponed by a year yesterday, the global body hasn’t confirmed whether Australia will host the world event in 2021 (originally slated to be hosted by India) or 2022.
“In terms of [20] 21 versus [20] 22, we just want to see two great events go ahead in India and Australia. If it’s 21, then the plans are really, really well progressed so we’re really well-placed to deliver that event.
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“If it’s 2022, it gives a little more time to create even more certainty around the health situation because I think no one knows how long this is going to last,” Hockley was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
India tour of Australia 2020-21
The postponement of the T20 World Cup 2020 yesterday has given a clearer window for both the 13th season of the Indian Premier League and India’s tour of Australia later this year.
Going by the speculations around IPL 2020 follow Australia’s tour of England to ensure that both English and Australian players travel from England to UAE (probable venue) in a chartered plane, one can further assume that the players might travel from UAE to Australia for the high-profile series.
If the same happens, Cricket Australia is likely to conduct a two-week quarantine camp for both the Indian and Australian players at the Adelaide Oval citing its newly-built hotel ideal for transforming the venue into a bio-secure bubble.
Hockley further opened up on players being allowed to practice during the quarantine period. Hockley’s comments come days after BCCI President Sourav Ganguly opined against the quarantine period before the first Test.
“The two-week quarantine is pretty well-defined,” Hockley said. “What we are working on is making sure that even within that quarantine environment, the players have got the absolute best training facilities, so that their preparation for the matches is as optimal as it can possibly be. We’ll obviously take the guidance of the health experts and the authorities.
“Whether it’s a hotel on-site or hotels in close proximity to venues, it’s certainly about creating that environment where we are minimising risk of infections and creating a biosecure environment is the absolute priority. There’s a huge amount at stake if we are unable to do that. Certainly the fact that the Adelaide Oval has a hotel…it does provide a facility not dissimilar to Old Trafford or Ageas Bowl where the hotels are integrated into venue,” he added.
While India’s tour of Australia was scheduled to begin with a three-match T20I series from October 11, the postponement of the World Cup will delay the start date of the tour as well.
