Australian players playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will have to make their own arrangements to travel back to the country as they have travelled to India privately, said the country's Prime Minister
"They have travelled there privately," Morrison is quoted as saying by The Guardian.
"This wasn't part of an Australian tour. They're under their own resources and they'll be using those resources too, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements," he further said.
Earlier, Morrison had announced a ban on direct flights from India -- both commercial and the government's repatriation services -- until May 15 and the use of connecting flights from the country.
Batsman Chris Lynn, who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, had said that he asked Cricket Australia to arrange a chartered flight to bring Australians home at the conclusion of the tournament.
"I texted back that as Cricket Australia make 10 per cent of every IPL contract, was there a chance we could spend that money this year on a charter flight once the tournament is over?" Lynn told News Corp media.
Australia ban on flights from India
Since Australia has suspended flights from India until May 15 in response to the country's Covid-19 outbreak, Morrison said that indirect flights through other cities and repatriation flights run by the Australian government aimed at getting Australian residents and citizens stranded elsewhere would resume as soon as possible.
"We don't think the answer is to just forsake those in India and just shut them off," Morrison told reporters after a meeting of the National Security Committee. Marise Payne, the minister for foreign affairs, said that there had been an increase in the number of Australians in India registering to come home with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"When I spoke to the High Commissioner this morning we touched on this challenge (of people wanting to return)," she said. "They are all over India, literally in every single corner of the country...That does make the process challenging but we will stay in touch with them and provide any support we are able to."
Australia is also sending ventilators, masks, goggles, gloves and face shields to India to help the country fight its record-breaking outbreak.
