Ever since the Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended, the biggest challenge for the franchises and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been the safe return of each and every member who was a part of the league. In the last one week, several players and members of the staff tested positive for Covid-19 which forced the BCCI to suspend the 14th edition indefinitely.
Currently, the franchises are busy sending players back home through chartered flights. On Friday, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) decided to airlift head coach Michael Hussey and bowling coach L Balaji, days after they had tested positive for coronavirus. The move has been questioned by franchises who have asked how did the two CSK members, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, move out of their room putting others at risk?
Notably, both Balaji and Hussey tested positive for Covid-19 recently. As per BCCI’s guidelines, any member in IPL 2021, who tests positive for Covid-19, has to undergo a 10-day quarantine and should also return with two negative tests on the ninth and tenth day and should not show any symptoms without taking medication.
“Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Laxmipathy Balaji and a member of the travel support staff positive for covid-19 on a test taken in Delhi on 2nd May. They have been isolated from the rest of the squad as per IPL medical protocols and are in good spirits. They are being monitored by the BCCI and CSK medical teams. The Super Kings have extended all the support to the two and wish them a speedy recovery and a quick return to the squad. The rest of the Super Kings squad will remain in isolation as per IPL protocols,” CSK had said in a statement. Soon after the statement was made official, Hussey also tested positive.
“How come two positive case people were allowed to walk out of their room? They potentially risked the driver, people at the airport including security officials. BCCI’s guidelines say positive cases need a 10-day quarantine and should return with 2 negative tests on the 9th and 10th day and should not show any symptoms without taking medication,” a franchise official told timesnownews.com.
“This is endangered not just BCCI but government protocols as well. This now how one of the top franchises in IPL should act,” said another official.
On Thursday afternoon, both Balaji and Hussey were airlifted from New Delhi to Chennai by CSK. “Both L. Balaji and Michael Hussey came in separate air taxis as per the protocol. The best part was when Hussey was still in flight, his second RT-PCR report came negative. However, Balaji’s fresh test confirmed COVID,” a source told The Hindu.
IPL 2021 was postponed after Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warier, Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra tested positive for Covid-19 inside two days, raising question marks over IPL 2021’s bio-bubble.
