Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw will be flying to the United Kingdom from Colombo on Saturday (July 31) via special provision. This is despite Sri Lanka being a Red List country under the UK Government's travel advisory. Their entry into England is being facilitated by a specially-created rule for sportspersons by the UK Government.
Normally, only travelers from Green List or Amber List countries are allowed in the UK. Those traveling from the Red List countries -- which Sri Lanka is -- can be allowed only if they are the UK and Irish citizens.
Both the players were on the list of close contacts of COVID positive Krunal Pandya and were in isolation, missing the last two T20I matches against Sri Lanka. They have been added to the Indian squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England which starts on August 4.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have made use of a special provision that permits Elite Sportspersons in the UK this summer and hence Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw will get to enter the UK.
"The UK Government created Elite player exemption earlier this summer to help the Indian touring party travel in the first place. The same rule was used for other sports like football and tennis for the Euros and Wimbledon. And now that is being used for the two new players," a top ECB official told Cricbuzz on Friday (July 30).
However, despite this special permission, Suryakumar and Shaw will have to quarantine for 10 days and will effectively miss the first two Test matches. The second Test starts at Lord's on August 12, by when the two players' quarantine period should be over but the general perception is that they will have to have some red-ball practice before being considered for a place in a Test against England.
The Indian Test team will travel to Nottingham in England on Saturday, which will host the first Test from August 4. The team was supposed to have its last net session in Durham on Friday but it had to be canceled because of bad weather.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
