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Perth set to lose Ashes Test over quarantine as Omicron variant and bad weather hang over series

Perth set to lose Ashes Test over quarantine as Omicron variant and bad weather hang over series

The Premier of Western Australia has effectively ruled Perth out of hosting the final Ashes Test in January by confirming that the teams would have to quarantine for two weeks on arrival in the state, while the series faces further disruption from the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

The series’ unsatisfactory build-up continued in Brisbane today, with England losing the opening day of their final warm-up match — a four-dayer — to torrential rain, having lost all but 29 overs of last week’s three-day match.

With the poor weather set to continue, both sides face going into next Wednesday’s First Test critically under-prepared. England are understood to be considering contingencies to get practise for their players.

Omicron is causing headaches too, with the threat of tighter travel restrictions for Australia, both internationally and internally. A second tranche of England players’ families are due to arrive in Melbourne in the coming weeks, and tour chiefs may look to fly them in sooner if harsher quarantine measures are brought in.

One thing that seems increasingly certain is that Perth will not host its Test match for the second successive summer. The new 60,000-seater Optus Stadium is due to host its first Ashes Test. On recent tours (at the legendary WACA), the fixture has taken place before Christmas, but scheduling challenges and a desire to give Western Australia as long as possible to relax its stringent Covid rules saw it shifted to January 14-18.

The match now appears certain to be moved, however, after Premier Mark McGowan offered no hope of shortened quarantine after travelling from Sydney, and said players’ families would be unable to join them.

“We have put in place very strict rules,” said McGowan. “We’ve said to them, ‘you need to have 14 days’ quarantine’. And that has to apply to all the broadcast staff, the cricket staff. They can’t just bring wives and girlfriends with them. It’s up to them whether they want to adhere to those rules or not.”

Not only would the players from both sides refuse such conditions, but the fixture would become a logistical nightmare. The Fourth Test at Sydney finishes just five days before the Fifth is due to begin, meaning there is no time for key figures to spend a fortnight in a hotel room.

Quarantine conditions have been a long-running saga of this tour. England have quarantined on the Gold Coast for a fortnight in two groups. The first arrived almost four weeks ago, and were followed by five players and a number of support staff who had been in the T20 World Cup bubble in the UAE. The groups were only united in Brisbane today in what has been a peculiar build-up to the series.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Cricket Australia must now decide where to shift the Test. A second fixture at either Melbourne or Sydney seem likeliest, playing it as a day-night match, which would make the hours of play similar to if it was taking place in Perth.

Canberra’s Manuka Oval and Hobart’s Bellerive Oval are also possible venues, although they lack the grandeur and capacity — and therefore the financial clout — of Melbourne or Sydney.

England’s Jos Buttler said he and his team-mates had no preference over where the game was moved to, or whether it is a pink-ball match, but expressed sadness if Perth is chalked off.

“The Perth Test is always a fantastic game, and it would be a great shame if it can’t be played there,” he said. “That new stadium is fantastic, and it would be a fantastic event. Fingers crossed things improve and the tour can run as scheduled.”

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