Adam Zampa opens up on return journey home from COVID-ravaged India
Aussie cricketer Adam Zampa has opened up on how he managed to circumnavigate Prime Minister Scott Morrison's travel ban and return home from India.
Zampa and fellow Aussie cricketer Kane Richardson landed back in Australia last week after managing to flee COVID-19 ravaged India through a loophole in border restrictions.
The two had been starring for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the lucrative Indian Premier League, but managed to return home to Melbourne after travelling through Doha in Qatar and then onto Australia.
Speaking to SEN, Zampa dished on his journey home in spite of the PM's assurance that travel loopholes out of India would be shut down.
Adam Zampa. (Getty) Getty
"Kane and I have obviously been in the news a lot about how we got home on that Doha flight," he told SEN.
"As soon as we made the decision to leave, we told Simon Katich, who is the RCB coach, and he was fully supportive of it. And then we just spoke to the RCB management about getting us home.
"They booked through an affiliated travel agent and we got given the itinerary. I got it on my Qantas app. So we just followed the itinerary and that's basically it.
"That's as in-depth as it goes."
Zampa is now completing his 14 days hotel quarantine.
Late last week, Morrison clarified that gateway destinations, including Doha, Dubai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur had now also suspended travel to India.
Morrison's government also introduced fines of up to $66,600 or five years in prison for anyone defying the travel ban
Zampa and Richardson are believed to be among the last travellers to use the Doha loophole.
More than 30 Australians remain at the IPL, including players, commentators and support staff, with Pat Cummins and Ben Cutting now in isolation, following confirmation two of their Kolkata Knight Riders teammates have tested positive to the virus.
The head of the Australian Cricketers' Association, Todd Greenberg, says the majority of players want to fulfil their commitments, having gone there with their "eyes wide open," but "concern" is growing over plans to get them home.
