The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Thursday, asked Cricket Australia to relax the hard quarantine protocol of Brisbane for the fourth Test to go ahead, reminding it that the visitors are done with the strict isolation that was agreed upon at the beginning of the tour, reported PTI.

A top BCCI executive wrote to CA head Earl Eddings, citing the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two boards on the modalities of the tour. According to the memorandum, there was no specification on two hard quarantines in separate cities.

As the Brisbane Test is due to start on January 15, players will be restricted to just their hotel rooms after a day’s play as per quarantine rules. 

Also read: Dani Willis shares clip of husband Steve Smith shadow batting inside hotel room

A senior BCCI official said, “The discussions are still on but today BCCI has formally sent a letter seeking relaxation of hard quarantine for its players if they are to have the match in Brisbane. The MoU that was signed never mentioned two hard quarantines. India have done one hard quarantine in Sydney (practice and back to hotel room).”

He added, “The BCCI’s demand is simple. The players want to mingle with each other inside the hotel bio-bubble like they did in the IPL. They want to have their meals together inside the hotel and also have the team meetings together. That’s not a big demand.”

Cricket Australia has stated that players are allowed to mingle outside their room but only those who are residing on the same floor. A player from two different floors cannot come in contact with each other, which to many seems ridiculous.

The official said, “The BCCI has told CA that the relaxation of the quarantine rules should be given in writing. During India’s hard quarantine in Sydney after reaching from UAE, there used to be police personnel in each floor ensuring that there is no breach of bio-safety protocols.”

He added, “Hopefully, nothing of that sort will happen if the team travels to Brisbane. All we want is IPL style bio-bubble.”

The Indian players have been put under hotel quarantine in Sydney, the venue for the ongoing third Test, and skipper Ajinkya Rahane made his displeasure evident when he spoke how it was “challenging to stay in hotel” when outside city looked “normal”.

In case Queensland authorities don’t budge, then the fourth Test could well be played in Sydney from the same dates but that remains a distant possibility as hectic parleys continue.