Ravi Shastri has 'absolutely no regrets' about book launch, says no-one got COVID-19 from that party

Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team has "absolutely no regrets" about organising the book launch two days before the Oval Test, an event where apparently no face masks were worn.

The same book launch was criticised and widely perceived to be the reason for a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the cancellation of the fifth Test against England in Manchester.

"I 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 with The Guardian.

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Shastri, fielding coach R Sridhar, bowling coach Bharath Arun and physio Nitin Patel were found infected during the Oval Test as they didn't travel with the team during the fourth Test match that India won by 157 runs.

They remained in isolation and when junior physio Yogesh Parmar's test came positive ahead of the fifth Test in Manchester, the game was controversially called off with India leading the series 2-1.

After the cancellation of the fifth Test, critics raised concerns over the book launch, commenting on the same, Shastri said, "At the Oval Test, you were climbing stairs used by 5,000 people. So to point a finger at a book launch?"

"But I wasn't worried because incubation probably takes weeks. There were about 250 people there and no-one got COVID from that party."

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Talking about his time in isolation, Shastri said: "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 per cent 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'."

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On being asked if he was made the scapegoat in the aftermath of the abandoned Test, Shastri said the truth was otherwise.

"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."

Commenting on the decision to call off the fifth Test, Shastri said he wasn't involved in the decision to not play the Manchester Test while he was isolating in London. He also didn't discuss the matter with the players.

"No. I didn't know who had got it. I didn't know (the junior physio) got it suddenly and tested positive. He physically treated five or six players. I think that's where the issue started. We were aware that the incubation period meant that someone might get it in the middle (of the Test).

"A lot of players had their families there. So it became a situation where you don't know what that player is thinking. He's got a young kid, you know, he's got to think of them. It was a little, I would say, touchy.?