Several Australian cricketers are looking to leave the Indian Premier League early, amid fears they will be locked out of the country because of India’s escalating COVID-19 crisis.
Kolkata Knight Riders mentor David Hussey said some of the Australian contingent were nervous about securing safe passage back home after the Morrison government reduced the number of incoming passengers allowed from India, although his own team felt fortunate to be able to provide entertainment for a population in lockdown.
David Hussey says some of the Australians are getting twitchy.Credit: Getty Images
India set a global record for infections for a third consecutive day, this time 346,786 cases on Saturday. Hospitals are overwhelmed, oxygen supplies are running low, and people have died in line waiting to see doctors.
The IPL show is rolling on in biosecure bubbles, without crowds and with many of the world’s top international stars including Steve Smith, David Warner and Pat Cummins in action.
Talks are afoot to organise a chartered flight for Australian players and coaches from India at the conclusion of the tournament.
Several sources close to the situation said on Sunday that multiple Australian players in India were seeking to leave the tournament early amid India’s skyrocketing coronavirus cases and recent travel restrictions imposed on people returning to Australia from India. They said one player had already begun the journey home. That player has been confirmed as West Australian paceman Andrew Tye, whose team Rajasthan Royals confirmed the news on Sunday night.
Speaking to The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald from inside his KKR team bubble, Hussey said some Indian players and staff had lost relatives to the virus. While he was determined to stay the course for the remainder of the season, which ends in late May, other Australians were getting twitchy.
Ambulances line up waiting for their turn to deliver patients to a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad, India.Credit: AP
“Everyone’s sort of a bit nervous about whether they can get back into Australia. I dare say there’ll be a few other Australians a bit nervous about getting back into Australia,” said Hussey, the former Australian batsman and current Melbourne Stars men’s coach.
Hussey praised Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for the manner in which they were handling the situation, saying talks had started to allow players to get back easily enough at the end of the tournament.
He also spoke highly of the authorities who were ensuring the tournament could proceed to boost the spirits of the Indian public.
“We’re stuck in bubbles. It’s probably not too dissimilar to what all Victorians experienced last year in lockdown really,” Hussey said.
“You get tested every second day. So it’s quite full-on but I think every precaution’s been taken for everyone’s safety.
“It is on the radar. It’s on the news every minute of the day. You see people in hospital beds. It puts a lot of things in perspective. We actually discussed after the game last night, how lucky we are to play the game and try to entertain people around the world.”
Hussey said the general sentiment from Indian players was a philosophical one.
“Everyone’s pretty nervous about what’s going on over here, but they’re also pragmatic,” Hussey said.
“A couple of players, their fathers have passed away. One person in particular, he’s one of the staff members with us and his father passed away last year from COVID, and he was really pragmatic by saying it was his time to go.
“From a Kolkata point of view, we’re desperate for the tournament to keep going, purely because everyone’s in lockdown, there’s not much else to do.”