Michael Slater's all-out war against Australian PM on returnees from India sparks huge row

Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater has lashed out at the Australian government for blocking their citizens from returning to the country from India. Last week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had announced a ban on passenger flights from India till May 15 and recently, the country’s Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt had confirmed that a temporary ban on travelers from India will come into effect on Monday and under this act, the  Australian government will impose hefty fines of up to $66,000 and even jail time to its citizens who try to fly back home from India amid a devastating surge in COVID-19 cases.

'It's a disgrace!!': Michael Slater

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Slater criticised the government by saying that had it cared for the safety of its citizens, then the government would have allowed them to get home in the first place. The cricketer-turned-broadcaster then slammed PM Scott Morrison and said that it was a disgraceful act from him and then asked is this the way how he treats his own citizens? 

Furthermore, the veteran cricketer has asked PM Morrison to sort out the quarantine system before adding that he had government permission to work on the IPL but now, he also has government neglect.

The Aussie TV presenter's tweet evoked mixed reactions on social media and while there were many who were on the same page with Slater, there were others who disagreed with him as well. Here are some of the reactions.

Australia's Biosecurity Act

The penalties are being invoked under the Biosecurity Act to prevent Australians from returning from India via other countries such as Singapore or the United Arab Emirates. The decision was prompted by a risk assessment based on the proportion of overseas travelers in Australia’s quarantine centers who acquired a COVID-19 infection in India.

"Failure to comply with an emergency determination under the Biosecurity Act 2015 may incur a civil penalty of 300 penalty units, five years' imprisonment, or both," Hunt said, adding that the new measures were due to an "unmanageable" number of arrivals from India who have tested positive to COVID-19.

"The government does not make these decisions lightly. However, it is critical the integrity of the Australian public health and quarantine systems is protected and the number of COVID-19 cases in quarantine facilities is reduced to a manageable level," he added.

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.