Perth is scheduled to host the fifth and final test from January 14, but Colbeck said the Western Australian capital could be lost due to state quarantine requirements; Cricket Australia says it is planning all tests as scheduled.
Perth’s Optus Stadium is scheduled to host the fifth and final Ash Test in January
Perth may not be able to conduct an ash test during the upcoming England tour due to Covid-19 restrictions, Australian Sports Minister Richard Colbeck said on Tuesday.
Perth is scheduled to host the fifth and final test from January 14, but Colbeck said the Western Australian (WA) capital may have to be lost due to state quarantine requirements.
Colbeck told the Perth radio station 6PR players would not want to be quarantined for 14 days in Western Australia, as would be necessary if they were to play the fourth test above as scheduled in Sydney.
“We have had to work a lot to organize quarantine arrangements for cricketers coming to Australia,” Colbeck said.
“There are serious doubts whether there will be a test match in Perth this summer.
“If there is no possibility of coming here without a prolonged quarantine, it just won’t happen.”
The Ashes begin in Brisbane on December 8, followed by tests in Adelaide (December 16), Melbourne (December 26) and Sydney (January 5).
Cricket Australia (CA) says it is planning all tests as scheduled.
England players have threatened to withdraw from the series if forced to adhere to Australia’s strict quarantine regime and have asked for guarantees that their families will be able to travel to Australia and tour with them.
Australia’s Covid-19 situation has cast doubt on the timing, as Covid-free Western Australia is reluctant to open its borders as other states battle the outbreaks.
Australia’s federal government launched a vague plan in July to begin easing quarantine restrictions and inter-state travel restrictions once 70 percent of adults are vaccinated, likely by the end of October, according to official projections. .
But WA and Queensland, of which Brisbane is the capital, have said they can keep borders closed for longer to avoid the risk of their health systems being overwhelmed by Covid outbreaks.
WA Cricket boss Christina Matthews said the sport’s state governing body had asked CA to move the Perth game forward on the schedule to avoid the quarantine issue.
“We know he’s under real threat,” Matthews said. Western australian Newspaper.
