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'If we get Covid so be it': Megan Schutt's blunt response on playing alongside Tahlia McGrath in CWG final vs India
McGrath had tested positive for the dreaded virus on the morning of the big match at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground and had shown only mild symptoms but was still allowed to participate after consultation with team, match officials along with CWG Federation Results Analysis Clinical Expert Group.
Australia women cricketer Tahlia McGrath's participation in the Commonwealth Games 2022 final against India, despite testing positive for Covid-19, had triggered a huge uproar in world cricket. McGrath had tested positive for the dreaded virus on the morning of the big match at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground and had shown only mild symptoms but was still allowed to participate after consultation with team, match officials along with CWG Federation Results Analysis Clinical Expert Group. Australia had eventually won the final by nine runs. However, criticisms followed even after the gold medal haul and McGrath's teammate Megan Schutt rushed to her support and said that her team was happy to play with her.
“We were all happy to play, she was happy to play. She feels absolutely fine so I think the positive result was a bit of a shock to her, but that’s Covid isn’t it we’re all going to live through it,” Schutt said as quoted by The Guardian.
In the gold medal match on Sunday, McGrath bowled two overs and took the catch of India's opener Shafali Verma. However, when her teammates rushed to celebrate Shafali's wicket with her, she signalled them to stay away. However, after Australia's victory in the match, McGrath, who was standing outside the team huddle, jumped into it to celebrate.
On McGrath's celebration with teammates, Schutt replied saying, "We didn’t want to get in trouble, we felt bad for Tahlia at the end there. Obviously when you’re part of a game that’s so thrilling like that, that’s all you want to do [is celebrate] and at the end screw it, if we get Covid, so be it."
Earlier, before the game began, the Commonwealth Games Australia in a statement said "our clinical staff have consulted with the Commonwealth Games Federation RACEG (Results Analysis Clinical Expert Group) team and match officials, and McGrath is taking part in today’s final against India".
They further added "In consultation with the Commonwealth Games Federation and the ICC, Commonwealth Games Australia and Cricket Australia medical staff have implemented a range of comprehensive protocols which will be observed throughout the game and for post-match activity, to minimise the risk of transmission to all players and officials."
On the entire episode, India women captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her views in an interview and said "That was something not in our control. The CWG had to take a decision and we were okay with it since she [Tahlia McGrath] wasn't very ill, so we decided to play. We had to show sportsman spirit. I'm happy we didn't say no to Tahlia, it [missing the final] would have been very hard-hitting for her."
