Captain Joe Root says he’s “desperate” to lead England in the upcoming Ashes series, but has stopped short of confirming he’ll make the tour.
A number of reports have suggested England’s leading players will boycott the series, if they’re unhappy with restrictions on their movements when they’re in Australia.
With interstate borders still closed, and Queensland and Western Australia in particular adopting a hardline attitude, it’s not yet clear exactly how the tour will play out.
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The players are reportedly concerned they’ll face strict restrictions on their movements, even if they complete two weeks’ quarantine on arrival.
“It is so hard to make a decision until we know what it looks like,” said Root.
“Once that information comes through and we have a bit more clarity, hopefully we are in a position to go and do something special this winter.”
The fifth Test in Western Australia would appear to be the biggest stumbling block, with the match scheduled to start less than a week after the conclusion of the Sydney Test.
The boss of Optus Stadium, Mike McKenna, said last week that he didn’t see how that would be workable, while Tim Paine urged England to send a full strength squad, noting that any restrictions applied to the tourists would also impact the Australian team.
“I am desperate to be part of an Ashes series, I always am,” Root said.
“It is the one series as an England player that you want to be involved in, and that will never change.
“For the group we’ve got to find out what the position is and make a decision off the back of that.”
The difficulties facing Cricket Australia were made apparent yesterday, when a Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and Tasmania was postponed an hour before it was scheduled to start.
As Queensland reported four new COVID-19 cases in the community, the Tasmanian team flew home, apparently concerned they would be locked out of their home state if they remained in Brisbane. The match will now be played later in the season.
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