"Rule yourself out or respect the bio-bubble"- Sanjay Manjrekar takes a dig at Team India over quarantine concerns

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has stated that players must either respect the bio-bubble or not play cricket under the prevailing circumstances.

Manjrekar’s comments come in the wake of Team India finding themselves in the midst of multiple controversies over bio-bubble and quarantine rules.

Taking to Twitter, Sanjay Manjrekar bluntly wrote:

It’s quite simple really. Either rule yourself out for selection or once selected respect the bio bubble & the strict protocols. Can’t have it both ways.#INDvsAUSTest

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) January 4, 2021

As per media reports, the Indian team have raised concerns over playing the fourth Test at the Gabba as they fear being subjected to hard quarantine rules.

As per the current schedule, India will be travelling to Brisbane from Sydney for the fourth Test. However, as Sydney is battling a new wave of COVID-19, the Indian and Australian players’ movements will be restricted once they enter Brisbane.

The players will only be allowed to move out of their hotels for playing and training, which is the a bone of contention for the Indian team.

Crowd capacity at the SCG will initially be limited to 25 per cent for this week's third #AUSvIND Test. FULL STORY https://t.co/x8wr7IMWM1 pic.twitter.com/x5Y8xeQXzz

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2021

While Queensland has refused to alter quarantine rules for Team India, the state chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young assured that bio-bubbles will be created inside the hotel for players to interact.

Young explained:

“They will be confined to the hotel. We have worked with them they can have bubbles within that hotel. Because they are going to be going and playing with colleagues in the matches so they will have exposure there. So it doesn’t expose me if they have exposure to each other in the hotel.”

Team India’s alleged bio-bubble breaches

Before the Brisbane controversy, five Indian players were placed in isolation for having dined at an indoor venue in Melbourne. Cricket Australia put out an official statement and said that both CA and BCCI were investigating whether it was a case of bio-bubble breach.

According to a report in Times Now, the BCCI backed the Indian players, and said that they were not eating at the venue but had only ordered takeaway.

A dramatic 24 hours has reinforced a unique aspect of bilateral international cricket: that one side or the other can theoretically pull the pin in the absence of a governing body that carries any clout | @ChrisBarrett_ https://t.co/WpwyLBseJ6

— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) January 3, 2021

A day after the Melbourne incident, a picture of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya shopping at a baby store in Sydney on December 7th went viral.

In the image, the cricketers as well as the store staff are seen without their face masks, prompting Australian media to report that Kohli and Pandya had also breached the bio-bubble protocols during the store visit.