IPL cricket players stranded by Australia's travel ban flee India after league suspends play
Australian cricketers are temporarily stranded outside of their home country after the Indian Premier League (IPL) indefinitely suspended its season amid a devastating COVID-19 crisis in the world's second-most populous nation.
A group of 38 Australian players, coaches, umpires and media members have to wait to return home because of a ban on arrivals from India until at least May 15. The controversial policy threatens up to five years in jail for citizens who spent time in India, drawing criticism from a former cricketer who told the prime minister he has "blood on his hands."
India will help Australian cricket players move
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced Tuesday its season would be suspended indefinitely as the country deals with staggering case counts and death tolls.
Eight English players were able to return to London on Wednesday, where they will quarantine in government-approved hotels before being allowed to move freely, Reuters reported. Three more players are leaving within 48 hours.
The country will help Australian nationals out of India to either the Maldives or Sri Lanka in the next two to three days, Cricket Australia leader Nick Hockley said, via Reuters. The Indian cricket board plans to arrange a charter flight to take them to Australia when able, he said.
Former batsman Mike Hussey, currently a coach in the IPL, tested positive for COVID-19, but no one else in the Australian group has tested positive, per Reuters.
Australia's controversial travel ban
Australia, which has enacted strict COVID-19 restrictions since the start of the pandemic, put into place a ban on citizens coming to Australia who had recently spent time in India. It came with a threat of up to five years in jail, a $50,000 fine, or both.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the penalties were to prevent people from flying out of India to a different country and getting into Australia from there.
A pair of cricket players went from India to Doha, Qatar, to Australia on Monday, via the Washington Post. The ban currently stays in place until at least May 15.
Cricket star says prime minister 'has blood on your hands'
Former cricket star and current broadcaster Michael Slater called out Morrison in a tweet on Monday, writing it was a "disgrace" and the prime minister would have "blood on your hands."
If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It's a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect
— Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021
Morrison downplayed penalties on Tuesday, saying no one had been jailed under emergency orders that went into effect at the start of the pandemic.
Before the ban, Australia only allowed in citizens, residents and a select few outside of those groups. They were required to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days at their own expense. And only about 5,500 are allowed in each week. An exception was made for tennis players and coaches coming from around the globe for the Australian Open in January. They faced strict quarantine measures while there and fans missed a string of days due to a lockdown.
India case count, death toll surges
As of late April, India accounted for nearly half of the new daily COVID-19 cases throughout the globe. The country surpassed 20 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, with seven million coming in the past month.
The official death toll is an estimated 120 per hour in India and many believe the real toll is much higher. The government's numbers only include deaths in a hospital. India officially opened its vaccination program to all adults on May 1, but there aren't enough doses.
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