AUS v IND 2020-21: Ganguly to speak with CA in hope to negotiate quarantine terms for Rohit, Ishant - Report

The two players are facing 14-day strict confinement when they reach Australia as per existing norms.

By Kashish Chadha - 26 Nov, 2020

Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) president, Sourav Ganguly, will be negotiating quarantine terms with Cricket Australia (CA) in hope for relaxed COVID-19 isolation norms which Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma need to ease their Test series participation down under. 

A source close to the developments told ANI that Ganguly will be consulting the whole matter in detail with CA as Rohit and Ishant are currently recovering from their respective injuries at the NCA in Bangalore. 

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"The BCCI president will be speaking to his counterpart at Cricket Australia and a decision will be reached after their meeting," the source said. "The current quarantine guidelines might make it impossible for the two to reach Australia and be a part of the Test series as under existing rules, they will need to completely isolate themselves and cannot train in the quarantine period."

"The rest of the Indian cricketers were allowed to train during the quarantine period because they moved from one bubble - in Dubai - to the other - in Sydney. So, a relaxation will be needed if the two are to be a part of the Test series."

Unlike their teammates who shifted from one bio-secure bubble in UAE for the IPL 2020 to the other in Australia earlier this month, Rohit and Ishant went home to recuperate from injuries and won't be allowed to train during their 14-day isolation as per the existing regulations imposed by the Australian government amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCA authorities, including chief Rahul Dravid, wouldn't want to take any risk with the two players' injury status and will not be approving their travel unless fully recovered. 

If Ganguly's negotiations don't bear fruits, the two players will have to cover a longer period away from the on-field action with pre-series preparations and training allowed only after a strict hotel confinement. 

As it stands, Rohit and Ishant are set to miss both the pre-series warm-up fixtures, with reports emerging that they might only be available for the last two Tests depending on their fitness. 

The four-Test series begins on December 17.

(Inputs from ANI)

By Kashish Chadha - 26 Nov, 2020

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