CA promises to liaise with the government to help players

In a meeting of Australia's National Security Committee of Cabinet on Tuesday, it was decided that direct flights from India will be suspended.

Sydney: Soon after it was decided by the Australian government to suspend all flights from India till May 15, Cricket Australia (CA) announced that they are in regular touch with the players and will liaise with the government to deal with the problem.

In a meeting of Australia's National Security Committee of Cabinet on Tuesday, it was decided that direct flights from India will be suspended.

However, both CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) have said they are willing to assist the players and will coordinate with the government on that.

"Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association are in regular dialogue with players, coaches, match officials and commentators on the ground in India regarding the current situation and we will assist where possible," said a statement from Cricket Australia.

"We will continue to liaise closely with the Australian Government following today's announcement that direct flights from India to Australia will be paused until May 15, and monitor the situation between now and the tournament's scheduled conclusion on May 30," the statement added.

As many as 30 Australians are part of the IPL and while three have returned or decided to return, the remaining are in India. There are still 14 players left in the league now besides the coaching staff like Ricky Ponting, David Hussey and Simon Katich as well as commentators like Brett Lee and Michael Slater.

"We thank the BCCI and IPL for their efforts to keep everyone safe in the tournament's bio-secure bubble. Once again, our thoughts are with the people of India during this challenging time," the CA statement said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had earlier said that Australians in India who are part of IPL teams will have to make their own way back home and won't be prioritised.

"They have travelled there privately," Morrison was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"This wasn't part of an Australian tour. They're under their own resources and they'll be using those resources too, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements," he said.