The Ashes 2021 series will take place in December and January; Australia has strict quarantine rules that limit international arrivals; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to allow families to travel with players from England.
England captain Joe Root and Australia captain Tim Paine hold the trophy after a 2-2 draw in the series meant Australia retained The Ashes in 2019.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison to help ease strict quarantine rules to allow families of England cricketers to travel with players during the upcoming Ashes series.
England’s players are looking for guarantees that their family members will be able to join them in Australia during the five-round series in December and January.
Australia’s borders are effectively closed in an effort to control COVID-19, with limits on international arrivals and limited places available in the country’s mandatory hotel quarantine regime.
Johnson said he had discussed the ashes with Morrison in Washington this week when the couple met for dinner.
“I raised it and he said he would do everything possible for the families,” Johnson told reporters in Washington.
“He totally understood that it is very difficult for cricketers to ask people to get away from their families during Christmas.
“He just promised to go back and see if he could find a solution.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board said last month it was “very confident” that the Ashes, who would start in Brisbane on December 8, would go ahead as planned despite England players saying they could skip the tour if families cannot travel to Australia.
Australia plans to ease border and quarantine restrictions by the end of 2021, when at least 80 percent of adults are expected to have received two COVID-19 vaccines.
However, officials in the COVID-free states of Western Australia and Queensland have said they will set their own hours for opening and can keep their borders closed for longer.
