The ICC World Test Cricket Championship final remains on track despite the massive surge in new Covid-19 cases in India.
The test match between the Black Caps and India is scheduled to start on 18 June in Southampton but with India recording a record number of daily Covid cases it raises the question of whether the final can still go ahead.
Three Australian cricketers made the decision to leave the IPL amid growing concerns around the pandemic in India.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
There are ten New Zealanders playing in the IPL with four of those due to then travel to England for two test matches against England and then the Test Championship final against India.
However New Zealand Cricket Players Association CEO Heath Mills is confident the final will go ahead as planned.
"At the moment, every indication is that the Test Championship Final will continue and New Zealand Cricket are confident when they talk to us that that will continue and go ahead as planned."
While the players are anxious about what is going on in India, they all feel safe in their team bubbles, he said.
"We've been in touch with some of the players over there in India and they're all anxious about what they see going on in India it's clearly a really hard situation for any of us to be watching but at the moment they're all comfortable being in India," he said.
Mills confirmed that the nine New Zealand cricketers in the IPL were not vaccinated before travelling to India.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand's IPL contigent have been isolated in hotel bubbles since arriving in India and Mills maintains that the cricketers are being carefully supervised by their IPL franchises.
"They're well looked after in their team environments and their hotel bubbles but it's certainly an anxious time for everyone," he said.
"They feel safe and that's the main thing from our perspective at the moment they're being well looked after by their IPL franchises."
Travelling between cities for IPL games was the most dangerous time for players who were required to wear full PPE equipment while in transit.
Hyderabad Sunrisers teammates David Warner and Kane Williamson in PPE Photo: Instagram Supplied
Mills said the players lack of vaccination was a concern but they understood the risk involved before leaving New Zealand.
"In an ideal world you would have liked the players to receive the vaccine but they totally understand as do we that here in New Zealand other people were a priority and we understand that and support the government in their decision making."
Mills said logistics associated with IPL players heading to England for the Test Championship final was a challenge, but he felt the players would be able to tavel in a secure bubble.
New Zealand Cricket was working alongside other governing bodies to work out the travel logistics in getting the Black Caps to England.
-RNZ
