After opting out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Australian, players Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson have found themselves in a spot of bother. As per a report from Cricbuzz, the duo are stuck in Mumbai as their government has decided to suspend all flights from India. There is no confirmation will their team admit them back to the bio-bubble as the flights to Australia remain suspended till May 15. Cricket Australia has apprised their government about the matter and working closely with Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) and DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) in this regard. They may also ask the duo to take the same path that Andrew Tye took to enter Australia just a day earlier. “We are trying to see if the government does give us the go ahead to bring the players back. If we get the nod, it’s all pretty straightforward. But if not, we’ll be working with the ACA and BCCI to make sure they’re in a secure environment,” the spokesperson told Cricbuzz.
“Those who were very unsure about going had opted out even before the tournament began. We’ve now seen some of them withdraw in the last few days. We are constantly in touch with all the players, support staff members and commentators there as well as the ACA and as far as now, they are keen on seeing the tournament out,” the spokesperson added. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said cricketers competing in the IPL will have to make their “own arrangements” to return home after his country banned all flights from India in the wake of a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic there. Australia on Tuesday suspended all direct passenger flights from India with immediate effect until May 15 due to the “very significant” spike in COVID-19 cases. Speaking on his decision to opt out of IPL, Zampa said, "Obviously the COVID situation over here is pretty dire. I just felt, rocking up to training and stuff, obviously, I wasn't playing in the team as well, I was going to training and I wasn't finding the motivation. There were a few other things like bubble fatigue and the chance to get home, once all the news broke about the flights and everything. I thought this was the best time to make the call," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Zampa as saying. On Monday, Australian pacer Pat Cummins who is in India playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) donated USD 50,000 to aid India's fight against COVID-19. He made a donation to the PM-Cares Fund for the purchase of oxygen supplies for Indian hospitals.
