The Ashes is scheduled to begin in December, but it is not yet clear whether England will travel; multiple players have concerns about quarantine, bubble, and entry restrictions for themselves and their families
Hopes that this winter’s Ashes tour will continue got a big boost after Tuesday’s positive conversations between the England players and Cricket Australia.
England players and staff have held video meetings with Cricket Australia for the past 24 hours as they seek to determine whether to go ahead with the scheduled tour.
The Cricket Board of England and Wales (ECB) said on Monday it would decide this week whether the proposed arrangements in Australia are sufficient for the Ashes tour to continue.
Concerns have been raised about the current quarantine restrictions for players’ families and England staff.
However, it is understood that Tuesday’s meeting with Cricket Australia was positive and talks will continue ahead of the ECB’s board meeting on Friday.
Earlier Tuesday, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said his government had been “flexible and practical” to ensure the Ashes could move on, but the fate of the series is in England’s hands.
Hunt said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Sports Minister Richard Colbeck had been working with their British counterparts to deliver the series, which begins Dec. 8 in Brisbane.
“Ultimately, it’s always in the hands of the touring group, but we’ve been working to be flexible and practical,” Hunt said. Sky News Australia on Tuesday.
“On the one hand, making sure we have security measures in place for Australia. On the other hand, being practical and flexible to give that tour group every opportunity to come here and have the Ashes play this summer.”
The five-test series pours around A $ 200 million (£ 106.8 million) into Cricket Australia’s coffers through streaming, sponsorship and ticket sales, local media reported.
Cricket Australia has been negotiating with the authorities and the ECB on travel conditions and whether the players’ families can visit during the Christmas and New Years period.
“We have had regular and positive discussions with the ECB over the past six months about providing conditions that allow players from both teams to perform at their best during the Ashes summer,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.
“The health and well-being of both teams, while ensuring that the tour runs safely, is a priority and we especially thank our government partners for all their support in this regard.”
Australia has strict limits on international arrivals and charges people thousands of dollars to isolate themselves in designated quarantine hotels for a mandatory 14 days, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Morrison said last week that authorities would lift travel restrictions and allow fully vaccinated people to self-quarantine at home for shorter periods starting next month, when the proportion of adults who have received two injections of the vaccine reaches 80 percent.
However, international tourists are not expected to be able to travel to Australia until next year.
“We are also driven by increased vaccination rates and an evolutionary approach to the pandemic in Australia,” added Cricket Australia.
In a statement Monday, the ECB said it was still in “positive dialogue” with CA, but said the Ashes would only move forward if they could select a team from England “commensurate with a series of this importance.”
“Over the weekend we have been speaking with the players and England management to bring them the latest information on the proposed arrangements for the Ashes tour scheduled for this winter,” the ECB said.
“We are in a positive and regular dialogue with Cricket Australia on these deals as the landscape is constantly evolving.
“With health and wellness at the forefront, our goal is to ensure that the tour can go ahead with the conditions for players and management to perform at their best.
“We will continue to speak with our players this week to share the latest information and seek feedback.
“Later this week, the ECB board will meet to decide whether the existing conditions are sufficient for the tour to continue and allow the selection of a suitable team for a series of this importance.”
