No regrets on book launch, no-one got Covid-19 from that party: Ravi Shastri

India head coach Ravi Shastri says he has no regrets about organising the book launch which was widely perceived to be the reason for a Covid1919 outbreak that forced the cancellation of the fifth Test against England in ManchesterShastri fielding coach R Sridhar bowling coach Bharath Arun and physio Nitin Patel were found infected during the Oval Test and when junior physio Yogesh Parmars test came positive ahead of the fifth Test in Manchester the game was controversially called off with India leading the series 21There were reports of people not wearing masks at the eventI have absolutely no regrets because the people I met at that function were fabulous And it was good for the boys to get out and meet different people rather than constantly being in their rooms said Shastri in an interview to The GuardianAt the Oval Test you were climbing stairs used by 5000 people So to point a finger at a book launch he askedbut I wasnt worried because incubation probably takes weeks There were about 250 people there and noone got Covid19 from that partyTalking about his time in isolation Shastri said It was funny because in my 10 days I didnt have a single symptom barring a little sore throat I never had any temperature and my oxygen level was 99 per cent all the timeI didnt take any medication through 10 days of my isolation not a single paracetamol I tell the guys Once youre double jabbed its a bloody 10day flu Thats itAlso read Ravi Shastri intends to step down as coach after T20 WC says never overstay your welcomeThe book launch got even more attention after the fifth Test was cancelled with the outcome of the series yet to be decidedAsked if he was made the scapegoat in the aftermath of the abandoned Test Shastri said the truth was otherwiseIve not got it at my book launch because it was on the 31st August and I tested positive on 3 September It cant happen in three days I think I got it in LeedsEngland opened up on 19 July and suddenly the hotels were back lifts were back No restrictionsShastri said he wasnt involved in the decision to not play the Manchester Test while he was isolating in London He also didnt discuss the matter with the playersNo I didnt know who had got it I didnt know the junior physio got it suddenly and tested positive He physically treated five or six players I think thats where the issue started We were aware that the incubation period meant that someone might get it in the middle of the TestA lot of players had their families there So it became a situation where you dont know what that player is thinking Hes got a young kid you know hes got to think of them It was a little I would say touchyrdquoShastri is also confident that BCCI and ECB will settle the outcome of the series amicablyThe ECB have been outstanding and their relationship with Indian cricket is tremendous People are talking about the money but I can guarantee the ECB will make that entire amount with interestI dont know if its a standalone Test next year or they give them an extra two T20 games but the ECB will not lose a penny because of the relationship that exists In 2008 when we had the terrorist blast in Mumbai England came back and played the Test We donrsquot forget thatBilateral T20s should be reduced look at footballShastri also strongly feels that bilateral T20 series should be reduced to ease the relentless international calendarI would like to see less and less bilateral T20 cricket Look at football You have the Premier League the Spanish league the Italian league the German leagueThey all come together for the Champions League There are few bilateral football friendlies nowThe national teams only play for the World Cup or World Cup qualifying and other major tournaments like the European Championships Copa America and the Africa Cup of NationsHe said skipper Virat Kohli and other India players also share his view on the subjectThey all believe the same There is enough franchise cricket That is working But what is the point of bilateral In my seven years with this Indian team I dont remember one whiteball game If you win a World Cup final you will remember it and thats the only thing left for me as a coachI dont remember a single whiteball game Test matches I remember every ball Everything But the volume is too much We beat Australia 30 in the T20 series We beat New Zealand 50 in New Zealand Who cares But beating Australia in two Test series in Australia Winning Tests in England I remember thatThe cricket boards like to stage whiteball games as it generates more revenue but Shastri feels the right balance can be maintainedMoney is important because it can be put into the grassroots The top players still want to play Test match cricket but barring England and Australia very few countries make money through itIn India its beginning to pick up because of the way India play We go for the win because Test cricket is the ultimate added ShastriThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies 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