The second wave of COVID-19 has hit India in a hard manner and the cases are increasing at an alarming rate. Many foreign nations including Australia have banned the flights from India as they don’t want the virus to spread in their own country. However, Australia has gone one step further and has announced a lockout for its citizens who are in India at the moment.
As per the announcement made by the Australian PM Scott Morrison, no Australian citizen will be permitted to enter the country till May 15 and if anyone is found guilty of breaking the rule, he will have to pay a huge fine of $66K or he will be sentenced to prison for 5 years. The Aussie government has taken this decision in order to ensure that the quarantine system doesn’t get loaded but this decision is getting slammed by many including the Aussies who are associated with the IPL 2021 in some manner.
Many Australian cricketers are playing for various franchises while there are a number of former Aussie players who are associated with various franchises in the capacity of coach, support staff, etc. and few of the former Aussie cricketers are also working as commentators.
The former Aussie cricketer Michael Slater who was associated with the IPL 2021 as a commentator has also slammed the Australian PM for his new rule of not letting Australian citizens return to their homes from India. He took to Twitter, called this new rule as disgrace and said that if the Australian government is really worried about their safety, it should allow them to return home. He also added that he had the permission of the government to work in the IPL but now what he is left with is the government neglect.
Michael Slater tweeted, “If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this? How about you sort out quarantine system? I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect”.
If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It's a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect
— Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021
Michael Slater had left the IPL midway and on the weekend, he travelled to Maldives. After this tweet of Michael Slater, he was slammed by many for choosing health over money but the former Aussie cricketer shut them down by saying that this is what he does for living and he hasn’t earned a penny as he left the league midway.
This is what Slater tweeted, “And for those who think this is a money exercise. Well forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early. So please stop the abuse and think of the thousands dying in India each day. It’s called empathy. If only our government had some!”
And for those who think this is a money exercise. Well forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early. So please stop the abuse and think of the thousands dying in India each day. It's called empathy. If only our government had some!
— Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021
The Australian PM Scott Morrison has also responded on the “disgrace” comment made by Michael Slater. While talking to Nine Network, PM Morrison supported the ban and called Slater’s comment “obviously absurd”. He said that it is about bringing more people home in a safe manner and saving the country from the third wave.
As far as the IPL 2021 is concerned, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) postponed the IPL indefinitely as few players tested COVID-19 positive.
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