R Ashwin says it is BCCI's call on whether India will be playing the 4th Test in Brisbane

Amid the growing doubt over the fate of the fourth and final Test match at the Gabba, Brisbane starting January 15, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that the players will follow what the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will decide.

'The board decides what we do': Ravichandran Ashwin

"The board decides what we do. Being the contracted players of the board, we just follow what the board says. I am sure they will definitely work things out in the best interest of their cricket team and the situation that is existent. We trust and believe in the decision that they will make and they have always made best decisions in our interest," Ashwin said during a virtual press conference on Sunday.

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Is the Brisbane Test in jeopardy?

As per reports in the Australian media, the BCCI had threatened to refrain from playing the fourth Test at Gabba, if the Queensland government remains stern on its quarantine rules. As per Australian media reports, the Indian board has expressed displeasure over the stringent measures in Brisbane which require the players to be confined to their hotel rooms, as per the hard lockdown enforced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This happened ahead of the ongoing third Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Similarly, Queensland's Shadow Sports Minister Tim Mander also downplayed the concerns of the Indian team and took a sharp jibe at the visitors. “If the Indian cricket team wants to spit the dummy and disregard quarantine guidelines in Brisbane for the fourth Test, then they shouldn’t come,” Mander said. The BCCI is yet to issue an official statement on the same. 

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What must have reportedly made BCCI take a stand on this?

The reports come amid the alleged breach of bio-bubble protocols by five Indian players including Vice-Captain Rohit Sharma. While Cricket Australia has confirmed that there was a breach by the visitors, BCCI has not yet clarified on the same and is yet to issue a statement. Cricket Australia has said that 5 players from the touring party have been 'separated' from the squad and have been placed under isolation. These players are Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini. While the aforementioned players have been allowed to train, the BCCI and Cricket Australia have launched an investigation into the matter. 

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(With ANI Inputs)