Sunil Gavaskar Backs Team India Amid Issues On Relaxation In Quarantine

Former India captain, Sunil Gavaskar comes in support of the Indian players on their reluctance to travel to Brisbane for the last Test of the ongoing 4-match series against Australia.

The Indian team is not keen to play at The Gabba as they will have to remain under strict quarantine – they will be confined to just their hotels and can move out only for training and playing. – if they travel to Brisbane from Sydney as decided by the Queensland government.

The Indian players have been in the bubble for 150 days: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that most of the Indian players have been in the bubble for about 5 months since the IPL in the UAE. The former opener believes that life inside the bubble can have adverse effects on the mental health of a player.

“Yes, I think it’s a long time and by the time they finish the tour, it will be another 8 days maybe 9 days we’re talking. 150 days in quarantine. You’re trying to perform for your country and then you’re in hard quarantine, then you’re alone, you know all kinds of thoughts can engulf you and actually make it even worse,” Sunil Gavaskar told 7Cricket.

“And that’s the reason it’s so important to have interaction in the sense that social interaction with your teammates or maybe even some time with friends and that’s what the Indian team was looking for. When you do that hard quarantine you go back to your room. So if you had a bad day at the field then all kinds of thoughts are coming to your mind,” he added.

The 71-year-old says that the players are not asking for any special treatment – they want to be treated like the Australians. Sunil Gavaskar explains that all the matches of this tour, including the Sydney Test have been played in the presence of crowds; the Brisbane Test is expected to host more than 30,000 people, and hence there is a risk of contracting the virus there also.

“So what the Indians want is they should be treated like the other Australians. The other Australians who will come to the ground, who will go back to their families, who might go to the pub, so that is what they want. So that they will be able to enjoy the fresh air, where the thoughts of the game do not crowd their mind because you wanna relax,” feels the legendary batsman.