Queensland is entitled to protect its people and similarly BCCI its players: Gavaskar

The BCCI has already written to Cricket Australia for relaxation of hard quarantine in Brisbane and the home board has given verbal assurances. However, a new three-day lockdown in Brisbane has cast a shadow over the game scheduled from January 15.

Sydney: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar on Friday said that BCCI is only "protecting its players" by seeking a quarantine relaxation ahead of the fourth Test, just like Queensland health authorities are entitled to shield their people in the wake of fresh COVID-19 cases in Brisbane.

The BCCI has already written to Cricket Australia for relaxation of hard quarantine in Brisbane and the home board has given verbal assurances. However, a new three-day lockdown in Brisbane has cast a shadow over the game scheduled from January 15.

"The Queensland government is fully entitled to protect its people. Similarly I believe the BCCI is fully entitled to protect its team. I think that's something we should never forget," Gavaskar said to a leading media outlet.

"In Sydney, there are people coming to the ground and then going back and having dinner at a restaurant or having a gathering of 20, 30 people in a pub."

Gavaskar said that Indian team is not unjustified in demanding that if the players are together at the ground for 10 hours, they should be at least allowed to mingle in the hotel.

"What they're saying is they should also be allowed to do something similar. You could have a situation where the ball goes into the crowd, somebody from the crowd touches the ball. One can understand that. One can understand why they're feeling that way," added Gavaskar.