Xtra Time Web Desk: Team India Head Coach Ravi Shastri has ‘absolutely no regrets’ for his book launch event in London recently. Shastri further claimed that no one got COVID from the event which many believe could be the source from where the virus might directly or indirectly spread leading to to the cancellation of the fifth and final Test between England and India at Old Trafford, Manchester last week.
“They’re not bothered if there is Covid or not. They just want you to win, and score runs,” Shastri told in an interview to The Guardian.
Shastri tested positive on the third day of the fourth Test at Oval. Then bowling and fielding coaches Bharath Arun and R Sridhar, deemed as close contacts, had to be isolated. The duo also later tested positive and all of them finished their 10-day isolation on Wednesday.
However, the fifth Test at Old Trafford had to be cancelled after Indian players led by skipper Virat Kohli refused to play with junior physio Yogesh Parmar also testing positive.
Shastri was widely criticised for his conduct but the former all-rounder said that “There were about 250 people there and no-one got Covid from that party.”
“It was funny because in my 10 days I didn’t have a single symptom barring a little sore throat. I never had any temperature and my oxygen level was 99% all the time. I didn’t take any medication through 10 days of my isolation, not a single paracetamol. I tell the guys: ‘Once you’re double jabbed, it’s a bloody 10-day flu. That’s it.’”
“They tried to make it that way but I wasn’t worried because incubation probably takes weeks. There were about 250 people there and no-one got Covid from that party. I’ve not got it at my book launch because it was on the 31st [August] and I tested positive on 3 September. It can’t happen in three days. I think I got it in Leeds. England opened up on 19 July and suddenly the hotels were back, lifts were back. No restrictions,” the 59-year-old added.