IND vs AUS: BCCI Fully Entitled to Protect its Team – Sunil Gavaskar Backs Team India Amid Doubts Over 4th Test in Brisbane

Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on the growing doubt over the India vs Australia fourth Test match in Brisbane.

Gavaskar, on Friday, said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is just ‘securing its players’ by seeking relaxation in the rules of isolation before the fourth Test in Brisbane.

The BCCI has already written to Cricket Australia (CA) to waive stringent quarantine rules in Brisbane and the domestic board has given verbal assurances over the matter. However, with the three-day lockdown in Brisbane, there is a cloud of apprehension over the match starting on 15 January.

During the commentary on ‘Channel 7’, Gavaskar said, “The Queensland Government is fully entitled to protect its people, and similarly I believe the Board of Control for Cricket India is fully entitled to protect its team. I think that’s something we must never forget.”

The former Indian captain further said, “In Sydney, there are people coming to the ground and then going back and having dinner at a restaurant or having a gathering of 20, 30 people in a pub.”

Gavaskar further said that the Indian team’s demand is not unreasonable that if the players stay together on the field for 10 hours, they should be allowed to meet each other at least once in the hotel.

“What they’re saying is they should also be allowed to do something similar. You could have a situation where the ball goes into the crowd, somebody from the crowd touches the ball. One can understand that. One can understand why they’re feeling that way,” added Gavaskar.

Earlier, Queensland’s Health Shadow Minister Ros Bates’ comments regarding quarantine guidelines for the fourth Test in Brisbane did not go down too well with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as it felt that the team’s image was shown in poor light.