After wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant tested positive for Covid-19, the Indian cricket board’s decision is questionable. The decision that allowed players to visit sporting events and other public locations in England and mingle with the crowd during their three-week holiday has raised questions.
Pant visited the Euro 2020 pre-quarterfinal match between England and Germany on June 29 and later posted photos of himself and a couple of his buddies in the audience.
“Having a good time watching [English and German flags] “Pant shared a picture from the Wembley Stadium, where the match took place.
Other players who have attended Wembley to watch Euro 2020 football include Hanuma Vihari and Jasprit Bumrah. During the break, team coach Ravi Shastri and elite off-spinner R Ashwin, who played for Surrey in the County Championship this week, paid a visit to Wimbledon.
Pant was tested around a week ago and will be tested again on July 18, according to sources. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to comment on the matter.
Pant will not be participating in the team’s upcoming training camp in Durham, which begins on Thursday. The Indian cricket team, which had arrived in England in early June and played in the World Test Championship (WTC) final last month, was on a three-week break during which they were free to go wherever they pleased as England began to open up after the lockdown.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Indian squad was not scheduled to play any warm-up games against any county. The ECB, on the other side, is considering the BCCI’s plea for a warm-up game following the disappointing performance in the WTC final.
It will be interesting to watch if the ECB schedules a warm-up game against a county XI and if they take any precautions as a result.
The British government is gradually opening sporting venues across the country, with 60,000 fans visiting the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium.
In August and September, the Indian team will play England in a five-Test series.
