The news of the two umpires, who are part of ICC’s Elite Panel, withdrawing their names from further matches of the ongoing tournament came to light on Thursday (April 29).
Nitin has flown home to Indore to attend his mother and wife, who have both tested COVID-19 positive. Reiffel’s departure has been triggered over the anxiety following the Australian government’s decision to suspend flights coming from India for health safety purposes amid the pandemic.
“Nitin has a small child to look after as his mother and wife have tested positive while Reiffel informed BCCI that he fears not being able to go home due to the Australian government’s decision banning all flights from India.”
“The BCCI already had several local umpires as back-up so they will be officiating in games in which Menon and Reiffel were scheduled to stand.”
A BCCI official confirmed to The Indian Express.
This isn’t the first instance of individuals pulling out of the IPL 2021 as, like Reiffel, his countrymen Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa also went back prematurely due to fears of not being able to get back home on time if they stayed any longer in India.
Tye was one of the Rajasthan Royals quicks. Richardson and Zampa were part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack as pacer and spinner, respectively. Tye’s RR teammate and middle-order batsman from England, Liam Livingstone, also boarded an early flight to the UK, which has listed India as a ‘red-list’ country.
But perhaps the biggest name to opt-out midway through IPL 2021 is that of Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who decided to go on a break to be with his family, which is fighting the battle with the virus.
Among the match officials, Menon and Reiffel are the first two to pull out near the halfway mark of the IPL’s 14th edition. It is learnt that the BCCI was expecting another Australian umpire, Rod Tucker, to come in for the tournament, but he has informed the board of his unavailability due to personal reasons.
India is going through a major health emergency due to the second wave of the pandemic. BCCI’s interim chief executive officer Hemang Amin on Tuesday assured that the board would arrange for their safe departure back home once the competition is over.
“We understand that many of you are apprehensive about how you will get back home once the tournament concludes, which is natural and understandable. We want to apprise you that you have nothing to worry about. The BCCI will do everything to ensure that you reach your respective destinations seamlessly,”
“The BCCI is monitoring the situation very closely and is working with the government authorities to make arrangements to get you home once the tournament concludes. Be rest assured that the tournament is not over for BCCI till each one of you has reached your home, safe and sound.”
Amin wrote in an email as per The Indian Express.
It seems it’ll have to be the BCCI only that arranges for these overseas stars’ return to their respective countries, especially those who have come from Australia. Even though MI batsman Chris Lynn requested Cricket Australia to arrange a chartered flight for its players, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that the cricketers taking part in the IPL won’t get any preferences of resources.
“They have travelled there privately. 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,”
The Guardian quoted Morrison as saying.
