After contracting COVID-19, Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey will have to remain in India and quarantine, but the rest of the Australian players and personnel participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will travel back via the Maldives or Sri Lanka. After testing positive for the feared virus on Tuesday, Hussey told the Sydney Morning Herald, “I am OK.” Hussey was the first in the IPL bio-bubble to screen positive for COVID-19, after the virus infected many players and team members, forcing the tournament to be postponed indefinitely.
Lakshmipathy Balaji, another CSK mentor, tested positive for COVID-19.
The other 38 Australians, including players, staff, and pundits, will be flown to the Maldives or Sri Lanka, from where they will be able to fly back to Australia after finishing their quarantine periods, as direct flights from India to Australia are prohibited by the Australian government.
The Sydney Morning Herald cited Australian Cricketers’ Association president Todd Greenberg as saying, “His (Hussey’s) symptoms are pretty mild, so he’s in for a stint of depression in his hotel for at least 10 days, but his family has some very strong support networks around him, which is fantastic.”
“It’s a two-step procedure. The first move is to get them out of India, and the second is to get them safely back to the United States “Regarding the players’ return to Australia, Greenberg said.
“We’re still waiting to hear what the government plans to do after May 15th, and once we get the assurance, we’ll move on to the next level.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is trying to bring the Australian players home safely, according to Cricket Australia interim head Nick Hockley.
“What the BCCI is focusing on is getting the whole cohort out of India and into Australia,” Hockley told reporters in Sydney.
“The BCCI has been considering some alternatives. The Maldives and Sri Lanka are now the only options. The BCCI is dedicated to not only the first step, but also to organising a charter to return them to Australia “he said