Withreports emerging about Team India's reluctance to play the fourth and finalTest of the ongoing series against Australia in Brisbane due to harsherbio-security protocols, members of the Queensland government have stated thatthe visiting team should not enter the state if they are unwilling tocoordinate with the protocols that have been laid out.
Reportshave emerged that the Indian team isn't keen on travelling to Brisbane if theplayers are forced to undergo quarantine.
However,members of the Queensland government have stated that not abiding by the rulesis not an option for the visitors. "If the Indians don't want to play bythe rules, don't come," Queensland's Health Shadow Minister Ros Bates wasquoted as saying by Fox Sports.
TimMander, Queensland's Shadow Sports Minister, said there's no room for ignoringthe protocols and that every individual would have to go through the samedrill.
"Ifthe Indian cricket team wants to spit the dummy and disregard quarantineguidelines in Brisbane for the fourth Test, then they shouldn't come. The samerules must apply for everyone. Simple," Mander said.
Australiabatsman Matthew Wade has also said that the hosts are looking forward to theGabba Test and willing to make sacrifices to follow the schedule.
"We'dlove to be running outside in Australia like everybody is doing right now...butwe understand that we need to make some sacrifices to get this tour done,"Wade told the media before adding none of the players are aware of any threatof India pulling out.
Askedif he would like to play back-to-back Tests in Sydney due to harsher quarantinein Brisbane, Wade said, "No. Obviously we would prefer not to. Theschedule has been rolled out, we stick to that. There was speculation aboutstaying in Melbourne. Cricket Australia was firm that we will stick to theschedule that we rolled out at the start of the summer."
"SoI expect us to go to Gabba regardless of the fact that it is a quarantine-basedhotel and we only go to the ground, play and come back to hotel. We fullyexpect to go to Brisbane to play the Gabba Test," he added.
Theleft-handed batsman further said that there is going to be no uncertainty fromAustralia's side.
"(There's)No uncertainty from our side...we understand that us as a group we will go toSCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) and then we'll go to Brisbane and play at the Gabbauntil powers that be knock on our doors and tell us that it is going to change.We will roll into the next game expecting if that's what is going to be. It isout of our control," Wade said before adding that they have already beentold about stricter protocols in Brisbane to which they are willing to adhere.
"Brisbanewill be a harder quarantine and bio-security bubble than what we have had here,that is for sure. That has been relayed to us. No one knows the finer detailsof it yet. But yes, it would be strict protocol than here."
Theongoing four-match series is currently tied at 1-1 with Australia winning thefirst Test in Adelaide while India registering a win in the second inMelbourne. The third Test of the series will be played at the Sydney CricketGround from Thursday.