India cricketers Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, and Navdeep Saini have been put in isolation as a precautionary measure.
Cricket Australia confirmed on Saturday (January 2) that the five players will train separately from rest of the players for safety reasons.
These five players were spotted eating in a restaurant on New Year’s Day. They got into trouble after a fan-made video circulated on the internet.
The Cricket Australia release said: “In the interim, on the advice of the Australian and Indian medical teams, the aforementioned players have been placed in isolation as a precaution. This will include separating the group of players from the broader Indian and Australian squads when traveling and at the training venue.”
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia (CA) are investigating the matter after the fan said Pant had hugged him. Although the fan later clarified no contact was made and he had tweeted it in excitement.
The players will have to follow a strict protocol in training for the safety of the ongoing series.
“Similar measures were taken during the BBL this season after it was determined two Brisbane Heat players failed to comply with tournament biosecurity protocols,” Cricket Australia further said.
A source close to the team had already told ANI that the players had not breached any protocols.
“The boys had just gone out to a restaurant to get some food. They followed all the necessary protocols and their temperature was checked and proper sanitization was done before they sat on the table. There is no need to make an issue out of this. As for the whole question of a fan being hugged by Pant, the fan has himself confessed that he had said that out of excitement,” the source pointed.
The third Test of the series will be played in Sydney. India and Australia both have won one match each with two more matches to go.
(With ANI Inputs)
