BCCI not happy with senior Indian cricketers in the UK, asked to stay indoors: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a strict warning for all the senior players touring England for the one-off test match to not move out of their hotel rooms unnecessarily. The BCCI advice came after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was reported to be covid-positive ahead of the all-important Edgbaston clash, starting July 1.
Notably, senior players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were earlier seen in the streets hanging out after reaching England. The cricketers also clicked photos with their fans which surfaced on various social media platforms.
“It was very irresponsible for the team. They were informed of the risks and were advised not to roam around in public places without masks. But we see Rohit, Virat, Rishabh and almost everyone ignoring all the advice. It was bound to happen (Rohit testing positive),” a senior BCCI official told.
However, after BCCI’s notice, it was expected that the players would restrict their exposure. But it didn’t happen as the Indian contingent was recently seen visiting a restaurant in Birmingham.
The likes of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Kamlesh Nagarkoti along with former skipper Virat Kohli were seen in the restaurant as the pictures of them surfaced on the internet.
The BCCI guideline mentioned the cricketers to stay indoors and keep their outside exposure minimal. It also indicated to restrict themselves from clicking pictures with the fans.
“The board has scolded some players over their habit of hanging out in public. It also seems some players went in public and clicked pictures with fans, which could be dangerous. We had told them to stay careful but they still often roamed around in the city which is not required, so we asked them again to take precautions,” a BCCI source told ANI.
Although the bio-bubble restrictions have been lifted by the England Cricket Board (ECB), the covid isn’t completely vanished. Several players have contracted the dreaded virus in the past two weeks including Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
Currently, Rohit Sharma is isolating and uncertain to feature in the one-off Edgbaston test. His availability is subject to his fitness and covid report. As of now, the BCCI has opted for the wait-and-watch approach as the absence of Rohit Sharma will be a massive setback for the Indian team.
Sharma played a crucial role in India’s stellar performance against England, last year. The opener batter handled the opening spells quite well and scored 368 runs including a century in the four test matches.
India and England will lock horns for the one-off test on July 1 in Edgbaston, Birmingham. The five matches series is locked at 2-1 with India taking lead. The game will be a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.
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