India Tour Of England 2021: BCCI Awaiting Travel Exemption For Players' Families From The UK Government

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has allowed the families of Team India players to accompany them during the 3.5-month-long grueling tour of England, it is still awaiting exemption from the UK Government.

With the second wave of Covid-19 wreaking havoc in India, the Boris Johnson-led UK Government had put India on the red-list for travel permissions.

With the UK seeing a surge in cases due to variant B.1.617, the government is understandably cautious. However, according to reports, the England and Wales Cricket Board is in the midst of talks with the government and a decision on the same could be taken in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Virat Kohli-led Team India will kickstart its two-week-long quarantine from Wednesday, May 19.

While the non-Mumbai players will join the bio-bubble from Wednesday, the BCCI has granted a one-week exemption to the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and head coach Ravi Shastri and they will start joining the bubble from May 24 onwards.

Wridhhiman Saha, who recently tested negative for the virus after having stayed in quarantine for two weeks, will join the bubble a week later as he has got the permission to visit his family in Kolkata.

However, the board has instructed all the players residing in Mumbai to serve home quarantine. The BCCI has arranged chartered flights to pick players, coaching staff from different parts of the country, and bring them to Mumbai.

The team will fly to the UK on June 02 but before that, they will have to ensure that they return three negative RT-PCR tests. Further tests may be done will be done in Mumbai before the contingent boards’ flight for England

Meanwhile, the BCCI has made it clear that it will arrange any special flight for a covid-infected player and so if anyone returns Covid positive following the 14-day isolation, their tour would end right there.

Team India will undergo another 10-day quarantine (training will be allowed) at a hotel built inside the premises of the stadium in Southampton, where they will lock horns with New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship final between June 18-22.

Also Read: Wriddhiman Saha Tests Negative For COVID-19; Set To Join The Indian Team For England Tpur