Covid scare ends match

Tigers head straight home as Shield season takes a hit

THE pandemic has caused further chaos for Australia’s summer of cricket with Tuesday’s Sheffield Shield match between Tasmania and Queensland in Brisbane cancelled due to a Covid scare.

The match was called off less than an hour before it was scheduled to start and just before Queensland health authorities announced four new Covid-19 cases in Brisbane. The Tigers decided to fly back to Tasmania immediately despite the match initially being postponed for just 24 hours before eventually being called off and rescheduled.

“This is not a decision that was taken lightly,” Cricket Tasmania said in a statement.

“While the situation in Queensland hasn’t prevented the match from commencing today, a cautious and considered approach is being taken and it is our strong opinion that we are better having our players and staff home as we build a better understanding of the current landscape.

“We look forward to playing the Queensland Bulls at the first opportunity. We thank Queensland Cricket and Cricket Australia for their understanding and flexibility … and we hope that this preventive measure will, with hindsight, not have been required.”

Cricket Australia said the match would be rescheduled and stood by its decision to place the safety of its players before all else.

“Cricket Australia and all state and territory associations will continue to make the health and safety of our players, staff, match officials, fans, and the wider community our top priority as we look to execute a safe and successful summer of cricket,” it said in a statement

A one-day cup match between the two sides is also scheduled for Sunday and Cricket Australia said an update on this fixture would be “provided in due course”.

As of Tuesday, no further Sheffield Shield matches had been scheduled, with players from Victoria and NSW yet to be given the green light to even leave their states.

Players including Test spinner Nathan Lyon and Victorian

batting star Will Pucovski will need to spend 14 days in quarantine when they move and then another week preparing before they can open their seasons.

That now looks like late October, roughly six weeks before the Ashes opener against England in Brisbane, scheduled for December 8.

Players from Tasmania and Queensland don’t have another match scheduled as Cricket Australia navigates the minefield that is the nation’s current border restrictions.