On Monday (May 3), former Australian cricketer and commentator Michael Slater slammed Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government for banning Australian citizens travelling from India. Slater was a part of the commentary panel in the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 crisis. His rant came after the Morrison-led Aussie government announced that residents and citizens are banned from entering the country within 14 days of being in India. Moreover, those who disobey the norms will face fines and jail. Slater wasn’t amused with the decision as he lashed out at Morrison on Twitter.

“If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect,” a disgruntled Slater wrote on Twitter.

Slater's Tweet!!

Reacting to Slater’s comments on a morning talk show, Morrison defended his decision saying that the call was taken to keep the country safe. “No, that’s obviously absurd,” PM Morrison told Nine Network, reacting to Slater's comment. IPL 2021: No Charter Flight for Australia Players at This Moment, Says CA Chief Nick Hockley.

“This is about getting more people home safely, preventing the third wave here in Australia. I think the likelihood of any of that (jail term for those not abiding by the travel ban) occurring is pretty much zero,” the Australian Prime Minister added.

Notably, the likes Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa and Andre Tye left the tournament midway before the ban was announced. However, many Aussie players like David Warner and Pat Cummins, along with quite a few commentators from Australia, are still in India.

Meanwhile, IPL 2021 has been called off indefinitely by BCCI on Tuesday (May 04) after COVID-19 cases emerged in the camps of multiple teams. Hence, all the Aussies participating in the tournament will have to fly to any other country for two weeks before travelling home. While any official announcement is yet to come, several reports suggest that the Australian cricketers, commentators, coaching staff and others in various IPL bubbles will travel to Maldives.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2021 10:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).