Australian Contingent Arrive In Sydney From Maldives With A BCCI-Arranged Charter Flight

A group of 38 Australians comprising players, coaches, commentators, and other media personnel, who all were involved in the now-suspended IPL 2021 have landed in Sydney after their sojourn in the Maldives.

Following the postponement of the tournament earlier in the month, the entire Australian contingent – barring Michael Hussey, who had tested positive for covid-19 and was kept in isolation in India – was transported to the Maldives as the Australian government had banned all incoming flights from India in wake of the second wave in the country.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) arranged for their travels and stay in the Maldives, and also paid for the charter flight that carried them back to Australia after the government opened its borders.

According to the National broadcaster, ABC that contingent which includes the likes of Pat Cummins, David Warner, Steve Smith, and Michael Slater, have reached Sydney at around 7:30 am local time.

They will now have to undergo 14 days of quarantine in a Sydney hotel as part of strict border protocols established by their government to contain the spread of the virus.

Michael Hussey also returns to Australia after testing negative

Michael Hussey, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach, is also sent back after returning a negative Covid-19 test on Thursday night. The former Australian batsman was kept in quarantine in India following his positive covid-19 test when the tournament was suspended.

He was the third member of the CSK group, after bowling coach L Balaji and a member of the service staff, to have tested positive for the virus.

While the other Aussies from the Maldives have been sent back via a charter flight, the left-hander had to take a commercial flight via Doha to return back home.

While the cricket fraternity from the IPL has reached their homes without any hassles, the Australian government has a bigger task in front of themselves to bring back about 9000 of their countrymen stranded in India. They will initiate a series of repatriation flights for those over the weekend.

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