IPL 2021: Maxwell suggests a detour to avoid travel restriction

Bengaluru, April 30: Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has suggested that he along with his Australian compatriots would not mind being on the same chartered flight that would take India, New Zealand and England players to the United Kingdom after the Indian Premier League (IPL).

India and New Zealand are set to fly to UK for the World Test Championship final from June 18 and England players in IPL 2021 are expected to accompany them in the same flight.

"We just want to find a way to go home. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), both governments can work a solution. If we've to wait bit longer, so be it, but there's a way to get home at some stage," Maxwell told The Final Word Podcast conducted by journalists Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins.

BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said that the option could be explored looking at the international travel guidelines during the last week of May as all commercial flights from India to Australia are banned at the moment due to a spike in the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic cases in India.

"India and England are going to play in England. Worst comes to worst, we've to wait in England and try and find a way out in that chartered (flight) and get out of India. I'm sure a lot of guys will try and put their hand up in trying to do that as well," Maxwell added.

Dhumal said the idea could be explored as the country's cricket board looks at several options for all the overseas players' safe passage back to their respective countries.

"Travelling to England and going to Australia from there could be an option that can be explored. There'll be various options and obviously BCCI will try and take the safest one which doesn't compromise any of the players' security," Dhumal told PTI news agency.

For Maxwell, it is about figuring the safest route that they can avail once the IPL is over as the bio-bubble is expected to break after that.

Currently, there are 14 Australian players, a handful of coaches and a few commentators still remaining in IPL 2021 after three pull-outs.

"Once IPL finishes and potentially the bubble will be broken, you don't want to be stuck here, just try and look for the safest way to move on."

"It's something I floated to Vinnie (fiancee), if things go extremely south, a whole lot worse, what we're actually supposed to do if there's no help? I'm sure there'll be help from BCCI to accommodate the overseas players at the moment," he added.