Queensland drops chance

THE great cricket coup is moving fast with two states keen to steal summer’s whiteball games between Australia and India from Queensland.

Sydney has an offer of a hotel to quarantine Indian and Australian players as the administration recovers from the shock of learning over the weekend that plans to play in Queensland were a long way from fruition.

The Indians and Australians can isolate at Olympic Park in the same hotel being used for the women’s BBL.

The cricketers would be subject to 14 days quarantine but could train at assigned venues before playing the three T20s and three ODIS.

The sticking point with the Queensland government was allowing overseas visitors to move from a hotel to train at Allan Border Field.

Plans are well advanced to play the one-day games at the SCG and BBL games that would have been scheduled for

Manuka have been shifted to Brisbane so the T20 matches can be played at that venue.

NSW Acting Minister for Sport, Geoff Lee, said the state would welcome the opportunity.

“NSW is the sporting capital of Australia and we would welcome the opportunity to host India’s touring party, subject to NSW Health being satisfied that Cricket Australia’s proposal ensures the health and safety of players, officials, staff and the NSW community,” he said.

Fox Cricket, which has the rights to the white-ball games, was facing a massive bill to quarantine its broadcast staff in Queensland.

Tasmania Cricket chief executive Dominic Baker said his state was equally keen and was putting together a plan for the parties to quarantine and play in Hobart.

The level of anger with Queensland has not passed unnoticed and both Canberra and Hobart would think themselves an outside chance of snaring an Ashes Test next year.

Cricket Australia waited for weeks in the belief Queensland authorities would sign off on a plan to fly a plane from India to the UAE and on to Brisbane and had planned to hold six white-ball games there and on the Gold Coast.

Press conferences were planned and press releases drafted but the signature never came.

On Sunday, the Queensland government had a number of problems with the quarantine proposals and CA was informed on Monday.

On the eve of an election, Queensland doesn’t seem to care if cricket leaves town and cricket is in no mood to stay.