CA Narrows Maldives Or Sri Lanka To Evacuate Australian Players In IPL

Cricket authorities in Australia and New Zealand rushed to evacuate star players from Covid-hit India on Wednesday after the lucrative Indian Premier League was abandoned. Cricket Australia said plans

Two more cricketers tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday -- Delhi Capitals leg-spinner Amit Mishra and Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha.

Many of New Zealand's top players are trying to travel to the United Kingdom where they are due to play a Test series against England next month before contesting the World Test Championship against India.

New Zealand Cricket said it was trying to organise a charter for Test players Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner, as well as three players signed to English county sides.

Britain is currently only allowing its own citizens to travel home from India but a New Zealand Cricket spokesman said "we're confident of getting border exemptions."

He added another charter flight was possible to transport players, support staff and TV commentators home to New Zealand.

India, which has reported more than 20 million infections so far, with more than 220,000 deaths, is due to host the Twenty20 World Cup from October.

The cash-rich IPL, taking place in biosecure "bubble" conditions, attracts many of the world's top cricketers, including players from Australia, England and South Africa.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa said that they were in contact with their players and support staff, working to bring them home.

The IPL started in early April, with the decision to go ahead in the face of a deepening health crisis prompting criticism from some observers, while others defended it as a welcome distraction.

"It has been unedifying at times watching this tournament when people are dying just up the road," said former England captain Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail.

"The mistake was made in having the tournament in India in the first place.

"Six months ago they held an IPL in the United Arab Emirates and it went brilliantly. Covid rates were low and no bubbles were compromised. They could have returned there."