Cricket COVID-19: Australian IPL players facing nervous wait for test results before heading home

A group of Australian IPL players are facing an anxious wait for results from another COVID test and the government to lift the flight bans before heading home.

Pat Cummins, who donated $50,000 to Unicef, could be home by Sunday

The Australians stranded in the Maldives after participating in the IPL are waiting for the negative results from one more COVID test and the government to lift the flight bans before flying home on Sunday.

The news is not good, however, for Michael Hussey, who was yet to test negative to the COVID-19 virus. The 45-year-old was struck with the disease last week and flown from Ahmedabad to Chennai for treatment.

He has been suffering flu-like symptoms and must remain in India — with about 9000 other Australians — until he gets clearance to board a plane.

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Hussey is understood to have booked a seat on a commercial flight in anticipation of his recovery.

News that 70 of the 150 Australians had tested positive and removed from the first flight out of India on Friday night demonstrated just how fraught the situation is.

Aussie cricket great and Super Kings coach Michael Hussey is still stuck abroad.

The government had flown 1056 ventilators and 60 oxygen generators on the plane to India.

News Corp revealed on Thursday that a flight has been booked to return the players, coaches and commentators from the Maldives. The plane will return via Singapore but passengers will not be allowed to disembark before the second leg.

The cricketers were tested for the virus in the Maldives on Friday. Even one positive result could be enough to derail plans to fly back.

The group will catch a boat back to the capital Male on Sunday and board the flight home, but they will then have another two weeks in quarantine in Sydney before they can see their families again.

The government had earlier indicated that the party would be quarantined at Howard Springs.

The issue became controversial when Michael Slater launched an attack on the Prime Minister closing the borders saying that he had given them permission to leave.

Cricket will be hoping the government does not reinstitute the controversial India border ban with hopes that the Australian summer could begin with a historic first Test between the Australian and Indian women’s teams.

News Corp understands the game would be held at the WACA after the AFL grand final.

The women then have an Ashes series, including a Test, against England.

If the India game can be confirmed it will mean eight Tests for cricket fans this summer as the men are due to play Afghanistan and then a five-Test series.

Meanwhile, captain Tim Paine has been dealing with reaction to reports about comments he made at a dinner for the Chappell Foundation in Sydney this week.

Paine said he has no finish line as far as his career is concerned and that he could not see why Steve Smith should not be given another chance to captain if it arose.

The Tasmanian pointed out on Friday, however, that he was not indicating a preference for Smith over Pat Cummins or any other potential candidate.

“It wasn’t who I would support, I was asked specifically on Steve,” Paine explained to Adam Gilchrist on SEN. “But my honest opinion was that when I was coming back into the team I thought Steve was growing into that role brilliantly.

“It’s a bloody big job … but if he got the job again, I’d be fully supportive of it.”

Tim Paine’s comments at the Chappell Foundation dinner caused a stir. Picture: AFP/Patrick Hamilton

Paine copped an enormous backlash from Indian fans for stories which selectively reported his comments about the Border Gavaskar trophy in the summer.

“I was asked a number of things, and one of those was talking about the challenges of playing against India,” he said. “One of them was the distraction they can create. There was a lot of talk that they weren’t going to Brisbane. They’re always changing gloves and bringing out physios and all that can get on your nerves. Just that was one of the things that probably distracted me and took my eye of the ball at times,” Paine told Gilchrist.

“But also, I did say that they simply outplayed us and that they deserved to win but they left that one out. The Indian fans have been slamming me on social media. They’re saying that I’m making excuses again but it’s all good fun.

“I love the Indian fans. I don‘t mind getting a bit of stick, particularly when you deserve it. They ripped me off when I dropped those catches, I thought that was totally fair.

“Look, I love the passion, I love how much they love cricket. I love how much they interact and for some people, it is a positive interaction, but most of the time they are into me. But I don’t mind that.”

Originally published as Cricket COVID-19: Australian IPL players facing nervous wait for test results before heading home