IPL 2021: Virus-hit India to help move Australians to Sri Lanka or Maldives

Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley: BCCI been incredibly cooperative

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The Board for Control of Cricket in India will help to move Australia's entire Indian Premier League (IPL) cohort to the Maldives or Sri Lanka, Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley said.

The IPL was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday as Covid-19 crisis continues to ravage the Asian nation, leaving Australian and other foreign participants looking for ways to leave the country.

The Australian government has banned travellers from India who have been in the country within the prior 14 days but CA interim chief executive Hockley said the players would wait outside India for approval to head home.

"So what we're working to do and what the BCCI are working to do, and they've been incredibly cooperative, is working to move the entire cohort out of India," Hockley told reporters in Sydney.

"That's now narrowed down to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The BCCI are working through the final details of that at the moment and we expect that movement will happen in the next two to three days."

Hockley added that the Indian board had also committed to arranging a charter plane to bring the Australian cricketers home.

Australia has banned travellers from India until May 15.

The Australian Cricketers' Association confirmed former Australia batsman Mike Hussey, a coach at Chennai Super Kings, had tested positive for Covid-19.

Earlier, Australia vice captain Pat Cummins, part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, told Fox Sports the Australian government's decision to ban its own citizens from travelling home had added "anxiety for a few of the Aussies over here".