‘Impossible to wear mask all the time’: Ganguly defends COVID-positive Pant

Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Friday defended Rishabh Pant after the wicketkeeper-batsman examined optimistic for COVID-19 in England forward of India’s five-match Test collection in opposition to the hosts.
On Thursday, the BCCI revealed that Pant and coaching assistant Dayanand Garani examined optimistic for the virus in England and won’t journey with the remainder of the squad to Durham the place India is about to play a three-day observe match.
The BCCI, in a press assertion, mentioned Pant was “asymptomatic” and “will be able to join the squad in Durham after returning two negative RT-PCR tests.”
Three others – wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, and bowling coach B Arun — have been recognized as shut contacts of Garani. They have been requested to restrict themselves to their rooms for 10 days as a precaution.
Ganguly, in a chat with News18, defended Pant and mentioned that it’s “physically impossible to wear a mask all the time”. “We have recently seen European Championship and Wimbledon in England. Rules have changed. They were on leave and it’s physically impossible to wear a mask all the time,” he mentioned.
After the ICC World Test Championship last, the workforce was granted a 20-day break throughout which Pant was noticed on the Wembley Stadium, London throughout the UEFA Euro 2020 last-16 tie between England and Germany.
Asked about opening choices within the absence of injured Shubman Gill, Ganguly mentioned, “I don’t interfere in all these matters. The team management will decide this.”