Archer dog visit drama a warning: Aussie
JOSH Hazlewood is adamant Australia’s cricketers will not follow Jofra Archer to the doghouse and put the game’s $360 million revival in jeopardy.
Archer was axed by England and fined an undisclosed amount for threatening hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcast revenue by breaking strict biosecurity conditions to visit his dog.
As Australia’s 26-man squad finetunes preparations for its early September UK tour, Hazlewood said Archer’s breach served as a wake-up call about what was at stake for breaking the bubble.
“Absolutely. I think Jofra is one example, and there’s been examples in the NRL and AFL as well. Just by hugging a mate in the crowd, you miss a week,” Hazlewood said.
“So we’ve got to keep those strict guidelines in place to get the sport to go ahead. So we’ll learn from that mistake.”
In throwing the book at Archer, England cricket bosses have stressed that if a biosecurity stuff-up derailed the season, it would cost world cricket $360 million.
The discipline Australia must exercise in the UK will be good practice for the home summer against India, which is itself worth more than $300 million to the game.
The smallest slip-up in the COVID-19 era could have dire consequences for the sport.
ICC officials were due to meet overnight, with some chance an official announcement could be made today to cancel the World Cup.
Cricket Australia is negotiating with the federal government for players to be able to train in quarantine when they return from the UK.
Hazlewood said if the government rejected the request, it could have major impacts on the preparations of fast bowlers for the Indian summer. “As long as we can train during that period, it’ll be OK,’’ he said.
“If it’s when we come back, that we can’t train during that two-week period — as fast bowlers, we’ll have built up loads, and two weeks on the sidelines really hurts us heading into a summer of Test cricket.
“If we can get training done while in quarantine, it should be fine.”