Paul Reiffel unlucky one out as Australia adds curbs post Zampa & co's return via Doha?

Cricketer-turned-umpire Paul Reiffel appears to have found himself the unlucky one out after the Australian government has decided to enforce stringent laws for Australian citizens traveling back to their home country from India amid the escalating health crisis in India due to the second wave of COVID-19. 

It has been learned that 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. The country’s Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed that a temporary ban on travelers from India will come into effect on Monday.

Paul Reiffel unlucky one out?

As per reports in Australian media, three of Australia's current cricketers who had participated in the ongoing IPL 2021 including the likes of leggie Adam Zampa, and pacers Kane Richardson as well as Andrew Tye have already reached the country 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, but failed to do so as the flights to Australia were already canceled by that point in time.

What made Paul Reiffel pull out of IPL 2021?

While his countrymen Zampa, Richarson, and, Tye pulled out of IPL 2021 citing personal reasons, 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pacer Paul Reiffel, who is now a member of ICC's Elite Panel of Umpires and was officiating in IPL 2021 has reportedly withdrawn from the ongoing edition of the cash-rich tournament.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.

What is 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.

(Image Courtesy: IPL/ICC/Twitter)