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NSW may resolve CA's quarantine conundrum

3 minute read

Cricket Australia is likely to turn to a fourth state government in search of a quarantine base for Virat Kohli's India, who may now land in Sydney next month.

India captain VIRAT KOHLI.
India captain VIRAT KOHLI. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Expectation is growing that NSW will answer Cricket Australia's SOS and grant quarantine approvals required to get the summer started.

It come as the Queensland government struck a cautious tone in its first public statement since Monday's meeting.

Australian and Indian stars are in the United Arab Emirates, taking part in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

They are due to depart for Australia in approximately three weeks, with the rivals slated to play six white-ball matches and four Tests as part of a tour that is vital to CA's financial health.

But the sports organisation is yet to secure government sign-offs that will allow players to train while in hotel quarantine and the charter flight is yet to be cleared to land.

CA officials investigated Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane as potential quarantine bases but Sydney has now seemingly become the frontrunner in an increasingly urgent challenge for the governing body's interim chief executive Nick Hockley.

CA has approached the NSW government regarding the issue, having already formed a strong relationship while creating biosecurity plans required for the upcoming WBBL to be staged entirely in Sydney.

This will be a more exacting process but Argentina's national rugby team was notably given clearances to train while quarantining in Sydney.

CA could rejig its draft schedule without changing too many dates; most likely shifting one or two white-ball games to Canberra and staging the rest in Sydney.

The limited overs matches would start in late November, as Australia coach Justin Langer has already confirmed is the plan.

Players and staff could then travel to Adelaide for a mid-December start to the Test series without issues, provided the NSW-SA border remains open.

CA vowed to book an entire hotel for India's big touring party as part of its Queensland proposal, but the state is unlikely to take many risks as campaigning for an October 31 election gears up.

CA met with Queensland Health on Monday night, when officials in Brisbane requested clarification on some aspects of the sporting body's proposal.

"I love cricket at much as the next person but this is very, very different to the arrangements that have been put in place for other elite sports," Queensland's Deputy Premier Steven Miles told reporters on Tuesday.

"They're travelling from others countries which have high rates of COVID-19, they've not been within a bubble ... like the NRL or the AFL have been.

"They're travelling between places like the United Arab Emirates, India and Brisbane.

"So different arrangements are going to need to be considered."

Kohli, Steve Smith and other IPL players have been in a biosecurity bubble during the current Twenty20 tournament in the Middle East.

However, Test specialists like Cheteshwar Pujara and additional Indian support staff will need to travel from home to Dubai before boarding the proposed charter flight to Australia.

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