CA interim CEO says charter flights for Australian players cannot be arranged immediately

 Cricket Australia (CA) interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nick Hockley on Monday said that there are no immediate plans for arranging charter flights to bring back Australian players once the Indian Premier League (IPL) concludes on May 30.

'There's no suggestion at the moment of any charter flight': Nick Hockley

"There's no suggestion at the moment of any charter flight. We're working closely and talking closely with the ACA (Australian Cricketers' Association), with the players and with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to make sure everyone's okay and the people have got full information," Hockley told SEN Radio, as reported by cricket.com.au.

"We've been in touch with the players there and they are generally in good spirits. The work the BCCI has done around the (bio-secure) bubble means they are feeling safe and secure, and those we've talked to are generally planning to complete their playing commitments. The BCCI have come out and said they understand and want to support the players in making sure they get home safely at the end," he added.

Further talking about IPL, Hockley said: "The tournament doesn't finish until the 30th of May, so for the moment it's monitor the situation and as we get closer to the end of the tournament we'll need to see where the situation is at."

Last week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had announced a ban on passenger flights from India till May 15 and he also said that there would be no special privileges given to the Australian players in India.

Former & current Australian cricketers who have backed out from IPL 2021

Leggie Adam Zampa, and pacers Kane Richardson, as well as Andrew Tye, pulled out of the ongoing IPL 2021  citing personal reasons whereas,  the former Australian pacer Paul Reiffel, who is now a member of ICC's Elite Panel of Umpires and was officiating in IPL 2021 has reportedly withdrawn from the ongoing edition of the cash-rich tournament. As per reports, Reiffel feared that he would not be able to return home due to restrictions imposed by the Australian government on travelers from India.

Who all have reached Australia?

As per reports in Australian media, Zampa, Richardson, and, Tye have already reached Australia via Qatar after being stranded in Mumbai for a brief while. However, since their arrival home, the Australian borders have been completely sealed and Reiffel who had also backed out from the tournament and was also reportedly planning to return via Qatar after the three cricketers failed to do so as the flights to Australia were already canceled by that point in time.

(With ANI Inputs)