India coaches Ravi Shastri, Bharath Arun, R Sridhar to undergo 'fit to fly' test before return

India’s head coach Ravi Shastri, along with bowling and fielding coaches Bharath Arun and R Sridhar, respectively, would need to undergo a “fit to fly” test post recovery from COVID-19, which led to the cancellation of the fifth Test against England in Manchester last week.

The trio has completed a 10-day isolation as per the UK Health Protocols but, to return home, they also need to pass a “fit to fly” test, apart from negative RT-PCR reports.

“Shastri, Arun and Sridhar are all doing well physically having recovered from COVID-19. They are out of isolation.

“However, as per health protocol, they need to have a CT score of 38 plus which will ensure a fit to fly certificate for them. We expect them to fly out in the next two days if all goes well with CT score,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The CT (CT scan) score tells about the presence of viral load in a COVID-19 affected person and how much his lungs have been infected. A higher CT score indicates recovery and it is believed that to take long flights, one needs to have a CT score of 40.

None of the three Indian coaches currently have any symptoms and are completely fit but can only avail the return flight once they get the certificate.

Shastri tested positive on the third day of the fourth Test at Oval and Arun and 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. Parmar was the only physio treating the players since head physio Nitin Patel also had to isolate, being a close contact of the coaching staff.

It is believed that Shastri’s book launch where around 150 unmasked guests mingled freely was the source of the infection.