Western Australia cricket boss Christina Matthews believes it’s a “50-50” chance that Perth hosts the fifth Ashes Test.
Matthews’ comments come as Tasmania looks to poach the January 14-18 fixture.
Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein has stated on multiple occasions his desire to bring the Test to Hobart, while also formally writing to Cricket Australia to suggest a switch of venue.
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Western Australia is expected to open up its borders in late January or early February once 90 per cent of the state’s population over the age of 12 are double vaccinated, but the Test may go ahead before that target is reached which would force players into lengthy quarantine on arrival. The fifth Test is due to begin only a few days after the Sydney match ends, making quarantine almost impossible.
Due to the state’s uncertainty surrounding its border and vaccination protocols, Matthews personally believes Optus Stadium’s hopes of hosting the Test are slipping.
“I’d probably say at the moment I’m 50-50. I’d gone as high as 97 per cent, but I’ve gone back to 50-50. We’ll wait and see,” Matthews told ABC Grandstand.
“We’re slowly working on things behind the scenes. There’s great cooperation between Cricket Australia and the state government and us as well.
“It’s fair to say there are a few hurdles to get across but the beauty is, we don’t have to make a decision tomorrow. We’re trying to imagine what it might be like in mid-January as opposed to what it’s like today.
“As everybody knows, our government has very well known and strict protocols around different things and it’s a matter of whether cricket can meet those demands or not.”
The upcoming Ashes series had been in doubt after the England and Wales Cricket Board and its players voiced concerns over the restrictive health and travel protocols in Australia.
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Several players including captain Joe Root had refused to commit to the series before further information regarding the travel restrictions and how it would affect the travelling families was made clear.
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