IPL 2021: Michael Slater travels to Maldives before tournament suspension, blasts Australia's travel ban
The Indian Premier League 2021 has been suspended indefinitely due to rising teams and multiple bubble breaches. Some players and some non-playing officials had decided to pull out earlier due to the same concerns.
FollowThe cricket world is abuzz following the unfortunate suspension of the 2021 Indian Premier League following multiple COVID breaches in its highly secure bio-bubble. Although numerous players and participating members reported concerns, the suspension comes as the right decision, considering the safety of all the members involved.
Meanwhile, even before the tournament got suspended, renowned Australian commentator Michael Slater reportedly left the IPL bubble and flew to the Maldives. While he had intended to return to Australia, it has been put on hold for now.
The travel routes between the two countries are currently suspended until May 15. Furthermore, Slater slammed Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for banning its citizens from returning from India, calling the ban 'a disgrace'.
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"If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies, they would allow us to get home. It's a disgrace!! Blood on your hands, PM. How dare you treat us like this? How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL, but I now have government neglect," Slater wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Morrison backed his stand and termed Slater's comments as 'absurd'. "No, that's obviously absurd. This is about getting more people home safely, preventing the third wave here in Australia. Every system is going to face its stresses and I'm not going to break the system. What I'm going to do is take proportionate action to protect the system, so I can bring more Australians home and keep Australians safe for the longer term," he told Nine Network.
Earlier, three more Australians (Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa) had pulled out due to the same concerns and managed to reach home just before the ban was put in place. Meanwhile, the Australian government has set a strict travel ban, stating that anyone violating the ban could land up in jail for five years or be charged with a heavy fine. As of May 3, India registered more than 3.57 lakh new COVID cases.
NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitise, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona
