It's physically impossible to wear mask all the time, says BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has defended Team India members who were spotted at Euros 2020 and Wimbledon without wearing masks.

Post the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the Indian cricket team players and support staff were given a 20-day break. During that period, the players were not in the bubble and were allowed to travel across UK.

"We have seen Euro Championship and Wimbledon in England. Rules have changed (with crowd being allowed inside venues). They were on leave and it's physically impossible to wear mask all the time," Ganguly was quoted by News18, as saying in an interview.

Rishabh Pant tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of India's five-match Test series against England. The wicketkeeper-batsman tested positive on July 8 and is close to completing his self-isolation period.

It was previously reported that Pant, who was spotted at a Euros 2020 game in the UK, is believed to have contracted the Delta variant but is asymptomatic.

After Pant's news, it was revealed that one of the support staff, Dayanand Garani had also tested positive for COVID-19 on July 14. It is understood that since bowling coach Bharat Arun, wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opening batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran were in close contacts of Garani, who was in the team hotel in London when he tested positive, the four players have been forced into a 10-day isolation.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah recently sent an email to the Indian team in the UK, where he warned the members about the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. He asked the players and support staff to not attend recently concluded sporting events such as Euros 2020 and Wimbledon. However, the members of the Indian team did not abide to that and were spotted at those events. While head coach Ravi Shastri and Ravichandran Ashwin went to watch Wimbledon, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and Pant attended Euros 2020 matches.

In the same interview, Ganguly was asked about the upcoming Test series between India and England. To which, the former India captain responded,"It can't be predicted. It's a long series, so there will be chances for both the teams to equalise."

India are coming off a loss in the WTC final, which Virat Kohli's side lost by eight wickets to top-ranked New Zealand at Rose Bowl in Southampton last month. "Just one single match can't decide whether they are bad or good," added Ganguly.

As a part of their preparations ahead of the England series, which is India's first assignment of the 2021-23 WTC Cycle, the team is set to set a three-day warm-up game at Emirates Riverside against County XI starting on Tuesday.