Following a historic series win Down Under, members of the Indian cricket team, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Prithvi Shaw and head coach Ravi Shastri arrived in Mumbai on Thursday and to ensure their smooth landing, former MCA President Sharad Pawar granted the permission that the 14-day quarantine is not imposed on them. Most of the Indian players have been in a secure bio bubble for the last 5-6 months and it would have been very hard on them especially after being in quarantine since August and undergoing several COVID tests.
The 5 members of the Indian cricket team along with their head coach was absolved from the 14 day quarantine period after the authorities at BCCI and MCA requested the former president Sharad Pawar to make sure that the quarantine procedures are not imposed on them.
"We requested Mr. Pawar to help obtain an exemption from institutional isolation for these players. They have been in quarantine since August and have also had regular Covid tests. The exemption was obtained at around midnight (on Wednesday)," an MCA official who was there at the airport to receive the aforementioned players was quoted as saying by the Cricbuzz.
It must be noted here that the guidelines which were laid out by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) on December 21 clearly states that passengers coming from Europe, South Africa, UK and the Middle East have to be in isolation for 14 days including a week-long institutional quarantine. The 5 members of the team arrived in Mumbai via a connecting flight from Dubai. Maharashtra is one of those very few states where a 14 day isolation period is compulsory.
"This is because of sudden emergence of a fast-spreading Covid-19 variant in UK which is believed to be more transmissible than the original strain. But we understand the bio-bubble these players were in and regular testing they had to undergo in Australia. Also, it is not that we have not granted exemption in the past. The MCGM website lists out the conditions when an exemption can be granted," the quarantine in-charge Anil Wankhede said.
Meanwhile, the Indian players who will be returning from Australia will be assembled in Chennai on the day of the country’s Republic Day for the upcoming 4 match Test series against England. Meanwhile, the players who were not part of the squad for the tour Down Under will reach Chennai on 23rd January. All the players from either team will be arriving in two batches and will be part of the bio-secure bubble for a week.
"A hotel has been booked for the teams near the Chepauk and the players will be allowed to practise only from February 2," a Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
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