MELBOURNE: Five Indian cricketers were placed in isolation after they breached the bio-security protocols of COVID-19 in Melbourne on Saturday.
A video posted on social media showed Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Navdeep Saini and Prithvi Shaw eating together on New Year’s Day.
The Australian and Indian cricket boards investigate allegations of breach of biosecurity protocols after a video surfaced showing the players eating at a Melbourne restaurant.
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Fan pays Indian cricketers' lunch bill worth Rs 6,683 at Melbourne restaurant
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According to a statement, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia (CA) are investigating the matter and seeking to determine whether the outing constitutes a breach of biosecurity protocols.”
“In the interim, on the advice of the Australian and Indian medical teams, the aforementioned players have been placed in isolation as a precaution,” it added.
Players from the broader Indian and Australian squads when traveling and at the training venue, read the statement. The host governing body further said the Indian players will be allowed to train while adhering to the biosecurity protocols.
According to the strict biosecurity protocols set by CA, players are allowed to sit outside but not allowed to dine inside restaurants.
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The board had fined Big Bash League side Brisbane Heat after their players Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence breached biosecurity measures earlier this season.
Australia has reported more than 28,450 Covid-19 cases and 909 deaths since the pandemic began and has since March closed its borders to all non-citizens and permanent residents.
Australia and India are in the middle of a four-Test series, being played in the backdrop of strict health measures, with both sides currently staying in Melbourne before traveling to New South Wales for the third test in Sydney from Thursday.
