Brisbane Test: Australia Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade Reacts to Reports Suggesting India Team Not Wanting to Play at Gabba Under Quarantine Conditions

Cricket Australia (CA) claimed that they have not been approached by the BCCI regarding this issue. 

Australian opener Matthew Wade reacted to reports on Sunday suggesting the Indian team is not keen on playing the fourth and final Test at Gabba, Brisbane because of quarantine conditions. Wade said that Australia ‘fully expects’ to play at Brisbane and has no problems with it.

“We all knew we were going to get some curveballs and this is just one of them. The schedule has been rolled out and we’d prefer to stick to that,” Wade told reporters on Sunday.

“I would expect just to go to the Gabba regardless, (even) if that is more of a quarantine-based (situation), we fully expect to be going to Brisbane to play the Gabba Test,” he added further.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) claimed that they have not been approached by the BCCI regarding this issue.

Both the sides are scheduled to leave for Sydney on Monday. Despite the pandemic and a strict bio-security bubble in place, the players have been granted some liberties like being able to eat outside at venues and leave hotels.

In all probability, the scenario will soon change with the current border closures meaning members of the public cannot enter Queensland from Sydney without serving another two weeks in quarantine.

Five Indian players including Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Navdeep Saini and Prithvi Shaw have been sent into isolation following a possible bio-security breach. The Indian cricketers went out for a meal in Melbourne after the win in the Boxing Day Test.

A fan posted a video where the players could be seen not wearing their masks and sitting in close proximity. Both BCCI and Cricket Australia (CA) are looking into this matter.

The third Test starts on January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.