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Cricket Australia won't breathe easy until India land in Brisbane but Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says talks about the fourth Test remain positive.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk isn't worried about speculation Brisbane could lose the fourth cricket Test, having reported zero new cases of COVID-19 after the city started its hard lockdown.
Queensland's capital entered a three-day lockdown on Friday night after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel tested positive to the UK strain of the coronavirus.
The development came amid rampant speculation that India would refuse to play the series finale at the Gabba as planned, unhappy with the level of restrictions being placed on them by the state government.
Cricket Australia (CA) and Queensland Cricket are still intending for the fourth Test, which starts on Friday, to be held in Brisbane.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to declare its team will travel north as planned.
CA chief executive Nick Hockley expressed confidence on Monday that the matter had been put to bed after his organisation clarified the biosecurity rules that would govern the visitors' stint in Brisbane.
But the issue has since continued to bubble away, flaring up once again after Brisbane entered its lockdown.
Palaszczuk, speaking on Saturday morning, wasn't alarmed by reports regarding reluctance from the BCCI.
"As I said yesterday and the day before, discussions are still happening," the Premier said.
"And they are still positive."
Hockley has been in regular contact with BCCI bigwigs during the past week.
CA's boss was spotted in deep discussion with members of India's support staff after play on Saturday, when it is believed the tourists lodged a complaint regarding alleged racial abuse directed a Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj.
Hockley will be stuck in a tricky situation if India were to dig their heels in; shifting the final Test will infuriate his players but the financial clout of the BCCI is immense.
Any alternate venue would need notice to prepare a pitch.
Steve Smith, speaking after his century on Friday, noted his team would "go where we're told" after the third Test ends.
Brisbane's stay-at-home edict is currently scheduled to expire at 6pm (local time) on Monday, while both squads are set to fly into Queensland's capital on Tuesday.
CA administrators won't breathe easier until the tourists have checked into their Brisbane hotel.
Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young flagged on Saturday "a lot of cases" would need to be reported for the current lockdown to be extended.
It remains unclear what crowd might be possible for the fourth Test, should it be held at the Gabba as planned.
The SCG's capacity has been cut to 25 per cent for the third Test because of concerns about the risk of the virus spreading in the stands.
