England skipper commits to Ashes
AUSTRALIA’S $200m Ashes summer is set to be saved following an 11th-hour meeting.
Captain Joe Root has reportedly committed to leading England into battle for the pandemic Ashes after being satisfied with the conditions promised to his side by Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley in a series of urgent talks.
The UK Telegraph is reporting the Ashes tour will be signed off on by the end of the week, with England to field close to a full-strength side – with the possible exception of star wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
Cricket Australia is also confident the tour will be given the go-ahead but is yet to receive official confirmation from the England Cricket Board, which will hold a meeting later this week.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan indicated the touring party was likely to be full-strength.
“The Ashes will happen ... I also think most if not all players will travel,” he wrote on Twitter.
England’s hesitancy to tour has polarised opinion across the cricket world, with players worried about biosecurity bubbles receiving sympathy from former England captain Nasser Hussain but condemned by Ashes legends Ian Botham and Allan Border.
Cricket Australia has gone to unprecedented lengths to satisfy the fears of the tourists, with favourable quarantine conditions on the Gold Coast, and the promise of flying in the family members of England players to quarantine for a shortened period, possibly in Victoria, before Christmas.
England players were most worried about subjecting their
families to a 14-day quarantine period in their rooms, and about the prospect of being locked into a state if a Covid-19 outbreak occurred.
Cricket Australia intends to stick with the Ashes schedule of playing matches in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth but will not hesitate to take a Test away from a city if a state government makes conditions too restrictive. Sydney and Melbourne will be on standby to host extra Tests.
It’s understood Root and teammate Jonny Bairstow asked questions on behalf of players in a series of meetings with Hockley this week.
Cricket Australia was always confident England would tour despite an ominous statement released by the ECB on Monday night forecasting the team might not travel if it could not pull together a strong enough squad.
England will be allowed to train and play a tour match while serving its 14-day quarantine in Queensland, with reserve players also part of the initial touring party.
The positive news out of England is a giant relief for Cricket Australia and its broadcast partners and sponsors.