Cricket: Players' families allowed for UK tour, BCCI office-bearers to skip WTC final due to quarantine rules
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The families of players and support staff of Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams have been allowed to accompany them during their gruelling tour of England.
The families of players and support staff of Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams have been allowed to accompany them during their gruelling tour of England.
According to PTI, the BCCI had requested to allow the families of players and staff given that the team will be spending a long time inside the bio-secure bubble during their tour to the UK.
However, none of the BCCI office-bearers, including board president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah will be present for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton from June 18-22 due to strict quarantine rules in the country.
"Yes, it's good news that players will have their families during the tour of the UK. Ditto for the women's team who can also have their families around. These are times when the mental well-being of players is paramount.
"The BCCI understands that we need our players and support staff to be in a good headspace," a source told PTI.
Ganguly and Shah weren’t granted exemption from the strict quarantine rules in the UK and they would have to undergo isolation of 10 days. Hence, they will be absent from the ICC WTC final.
"As far as I know, the ECB didn't grant permission to them (Ganguly and Shah). Normally, administrators go before the Test match but as per quarantine rules, since they are not playing members, they would have had to undergo hard quarantine of 10 days.
"The team rules wouldn't have been applicable as far as president and secretary is concerned," the official further added.
The Indian men’s and women’s teams will depart for Southampton after touching down in London.
According to PTI, India women will commence their one-off Test against England in Bristol from June 16 and will have to undergo hard quarantine in Southampton with the men’s team at Hotel Hilton. They will travel to Bristol on completion of their hard quarantine in Southampton.
Indian teams will have to serve three days of hard quarantine and after that they can use the gym and start working on their skills. They have been serving a 14-day quarantine period in India and undergone six RT-PCR tests.