Indian team in Brisbane now allowed to use lift, swimming pool, and gym
A day after reports emerged of the Indian team being unhappy with the lack of facilitates at the Brisbane hotel they checked into, it has been learned that things are getting better.
According to a tweet by PTI’s Kushan Sarkar, the Indian team in Brisbane have now been allowed to use the lift, and can access the swimming pool and gym as well. Sarkar also stated in the tweet that the BCCI are confident about the housekeeping facilities being in order from today for the visiting side.
The lack of facilities provided to the Indian team at their Brisbane hotel snowballed into a major controversy on Tuesday. It was reported that the players were being denied basic facilities at the hotel, owing to strict quarantine rules in the wake of COVID-19
Some members of the Indian contingent, describing the Brisbane hotel as “a prison for all practical purposes”, had told the Times of India yesterday:
“We are locked up in our rooms, have to make our own beds, clean our own toilets. Food is coming from a nearby Indian restaurant which will be given to us on our floor. We can’t move out of the floor that’s been designated to us. The entire hotel is empty, but we can’t use any amenities in the hotel including the swimming pool and the gym. All the cafes and restaurants in the hotel are shut.”
The report further added that the visiting team members had informed the BCCI either to take swift action or put them back on a flight to India to spare them the turmoil.
The BCCI then got in touch with Cricket Australia (CA) to sort out the issues the Indian team members were facing at their Brisbane hotel.
BCCI step into action for Team India in Brisbane
While BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah reportedly took up the matter with their CA counterparts, the Indian cricket board also got in touch with captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Ravi Shastri, assuring them of all possible support.
The BCCI gave their go ahead to the Brisbane Test on the condition that the Indian team would be allowed to fly out of Australia as soon as the match gets over.
India arrived in Brisbane, having saved the SCG Test after batting for 131 overs in the fourth innings.
The fourth Test between India and Australia is scheduled to get underway from January 15 at the Gabba in Brisbane. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently tied at 1-1.