‘CSK will always stand by Raina’; Hazlewood reveals IPL virus concern

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan has said his comments about Suresh Raina have been ‘taken out of context’ and it’s important to understand what the Chennai Super Kings vice-captain is going through and ‘give him space’.

Suresh Raina opted out of IPL 2020 after arriving in the UAE along with the rest of the CSK camp. Even as CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said he withdrew due to ‘personal reasons’, speculation was rife about rift in the camp.

N Srinivasan clarified his reported comments that added fuel to fire, saying it’s unfortunate people ‘are putting two and two together to drive a wedge’. The former BCCI boss said his ‘prima donna’ description has been misconstrued and Raina will always remain an integral part of the CSK dressing room.

“(Suresh Raina’s) contribution to CSK is second to none and it is unfortunate that people are trying to put two and two together to drive a wedge,” Srinivasan told The Times of India.

“The franchise will always stand by him and he has our complete support during these times of distress.” Srinivasan further told TOI.

“These boys, they’re family. They’ve been family for over a decade now. When I said ‘cricketers are like prima donnas’, it wasn’t in a negative sense. A prima donna is the lead singer in an opera. Similarly, cricketers are always at the forefront of an exercise like this.”

The report also claims Raina felt ‘claustrophobic’ inside his hotel room during the mandatory six-day quarantine period in Dubai. Raina’s decision to withdraw from IPL 2020 also came after one of his relatives was killed in a robbery in Punjab’s Pathankot.

As per reports, the BCCI is likely to push CSK’s opening fixture later in the first week to let them overcome the ongoing crisis. It is believed that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) may commence IPL 2020 by locking horns with CSK. However, the full schedule has not been revealed by the Indian board.

Meanwhile, Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said on Monday he was a “bit concerned” by a coronavirus outbreak at his IPL but insisted he was fully focused on the national side’s white-ball tour of England.

Hazlewood is a member of the Australia squad who are set to face 50-over world champions England in three Twenty20 and three one-day internationals from Sept.4-16.

Following his Australia stint, the 29-year-old Hazlewood is set to head to the UAE, where this year’s edition of the lucrative IPL T20 franchise tournament is being staged because of Covid-19, and play for the CSK led by India great MS Dhoni.

But IPL officials have reported that 13 Super Kings personnel, including two players, tested positive for coronavirus during tests administered from Aug.20-28 and have been isolated.

“The franchise, we have a group WhatsApp, with all the information that comes through, it’s, obviously, a little bit of a concern, yeah,” Hazlewood told reporters in a conference call from Australia’s training base in Southampton on Monday.

“You ideally would have no cases. They are, obviously, in quarantine now and I think they finish up over the next few days. All my focus is, obviously, on this tournament at the moment. Once that IPL becomes closer, we will think more about that.”

Member of IPL TV team tests positive: Doubts about a timely start of the upcoming edition of the IPL grew further as at least one member of the Star production crew, who was in the first batch to leave India for the UAE on Monday, tested positive for coronavirus, forcing the official broadcaster to postpone their flights.

Indians are expected to form the largest chunk of different departments of the STAR production team, and the first batch was scheduled to leave from Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai on Sunday, multiple sources told IANS. But Star India on Sunday asked all of them to wait till it issues the next advice.

Agencies