BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has come out in the defence of India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant after the latter contracted COVID-19 in the ongoing tour of England.
On Thursday (July 15), BCCI confirmed that Pant and team's training assistant/net bowler Dayanand Garani have tested positive for the deadly virus and will not travel with the rest of the squad to Durham, where the visiting Indian team is due to play a warm-up game against Select County XI from July 20-22.
In an exclusive chat with News18, Ganguly defended Pant, saying that it is "physically impossible to wear mask all the time".
"We have seen Euro Championship and Wimbledon in England. Rules have changed (with crowd being allowed inside venues). They were on leave and it's physically impossible to wear mask all the time," the BCCI chief stated.
After the World Test Championship (WTC) final last month, the Indian contingent was given a 20-day respite from the bio-bubble life.
During the break, Pant attended the Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany on June 29.
India will be without Pant as well as back-up wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha during the three-day practice match in Durham, as the latter has been kept in isolation after being identified as a close contact of the training assistant. Bowling coach Bharat Arun and reserve opener Abhimanyu Easwaran will also remain in isolation for 10 days.
The five-Test series between India and England is slated to get underway on August 4 at Trent Bridge and the tourists will hope to put behind their COVID-19 troubles for the series, which will be the part of second WTC cycle.
