Reports: BCCI to seek an explanation from Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for attending book launch event

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials are not happy with head coach Ravi Shastri after he tested positive for COVID-19. The 59-year-old contracted the virus following a book launch event in London last week. He is currently in isolation and will miss the fifth Test in Manchester.

Apart from him, three support staff members Nitin Patel, R Sridhar, and Bharat Arun were told to isolate. Of the three, Sridhar’s and Arun’s reports have come positive, and Patel is kept in isolation until further notice from medical staff.

All three members of the coaching staff have been ruled out of the fifth Test, which is scheduled to begin on 10th September. The book launch event also saw Indian cricketers in attendance, but their test results have come negative and therefore they were allowed to play days four and five of The Oval Test match. 

If reports are anything to go by, then the Indian team didn’t seek any prior approval from BCCI to attend the event, and the board is disappointed by this fact. “Photos from the event have been shared with BCCI officials. The board will probe the matter. This incident has left the board embarrassed. The coach and the captain will be asked to explain the circumstances after the fourth Test at Oval. The team’s administrative manager Girish Dongre’s role is also under the scanner,” a top BCCI official told The Times of India.

BCCI set to discuss this matter ahead of the selection meeting for the T20 World Cup

The BCCI is in constant touch with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to ensure the fifth Test goes as per the schedule and that there won’t be any further hiccups. Also, the Indian selectors are meeting to finalize the squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, and in all probability, the matter will be discussed there.

“There is a selection meeting for the T20 World Cup on Wednesday. Maybe the matter will be raised there,” the official added.

This incident of Shastri and the team members attending the book launch comes after a strict warning from BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who had told the players to avoid going to such crowded places during the pandemic.

“This incident is all the more unsettling because BCCI secretary Jay Shah had written to every team member before the series, asking them to be cautious and refrain from attending crowded events. The action of the team hasn’t gone down well with the board,” the official said.