Adelaide Oval’s new hotel could be used as a potential quarantine centre for Team India during their forthcoming Australia tour, which is currently under threat due to the global COVID-19 outbreak.
As per a report published in ‘The Age’, South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) chief Keith Bradshaw has offered Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts the hotel worth USD 42 million to quarantine Virat Kohli and company if the tour takes place later this year.
“Kangaroo Island and Rottnest Island have also been mooted as potential self-isolation sites for a visiting team,” the report said.
With Australia closing its borders and issuing travel restrictions to contain the spread of Coronavirus, cricket authorities are trying to find ways to manage health and safety of the visiting teams if the series goes ahead as planned.
The two-week mandatory isolation for visitors can cause problems for the Indian cricket team, which needs to maintain top fitness levels and also have to hone their skills for the competition.
However, the 138-room hotel, which is expected to be launched in September, would enable “the world No.1 Test nation to train in first-class cricket facilities at the adjacent nets as well and give them access to suitable dining and nutrition options.”
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held down under from October 18 to November 15, is also under threat due to COVID-19 crisis, which has claimed more than 135,200 lives globally thus far.
The stakeholders are expected to face approximately USD 300 million loss in TV revenue if the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 gets called off.
(With PTI inputs)
