With England’s two best hopes of Ashes success all but certain absentees, further withdrawals could turn a highly-anticipated summer into a non-competitive farce.
Reports from the England camp this week suggest players are increasingly unhappy with the conditions being proposed for the upcoming Ashes tour.
While it is understood that families will be permitted on the tour — the initial sticking point in negotiations — ESPNcricinfo reported on Thursday that some weren’t happy with Covid-compliant arrangements beyond that.
Players and staff could be placed in resort-style quarantine on the the Gold Coast (a similar arrangement that kept the 2020 AFL season afloat), however families and children may have to undertake a ‘hard’ hotel quarantine. Players were also informed that time spent outdoors may be limited, and that they may need to remain inside a ‘bubble’ throughout the tour in order to navigate complex border arrangements in Australia.
Opinions on the issues are vexed.
Some might feel England need to harden up, pointing to the bubble conditions India pushed through in their victorious series last summer. Others feel the concerns are legitimate, and entirely justified given each member will be double-jabbed.
It’s difficult not to sympathise with the England players, who in stark contrast with their Australian counterparts have already played an eye-watering amount of cricket in 2021. Upon touching down in Australia, Joe Root and his team will be transported back to what their life was in 2020. In recent months the UK has largely re-opened society, and players have enjoyed freedoms denied last year. But those freedoms will be snatched away. And as anyone in Sydney and Melbourne in particular might attest, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
Whatever your thoughts, the fact is that even if two or three of England’s first-choice players pull out, the series could quickly render into farce.
As it stands, their two best (and arguably, only) hopes of Ashes success Down Under already won’t be here this summer. Jofra Archer, the man whose extra pace and bounce England have sorely missed in recent tours, has already been ruled out with an elbow injury. And Ben Stokes, who single-handedly prevented Australian victory in the last Ashes series, looks in increasing doubt. Ben Stokes is on indefinite leave and has already been ruled out of next month’s T20 World Cup. Add further players onto the ‘outs’ list, and England could be in for a sizeable defeat.
(Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Player withdrawals would be a huge blow for all involved.
As former England captain Michael Vaughan told Fox Cricket last month: “Do you want to see an Ashes series where five of the top guys are not going to tour?”
For England themselves, even at full strength they would have started the series as underdogs. More withdrawals from a side that already boasts a shaky top six would shift a 5-0 scorelines from ‘possibility’ to ‘probability’. For Australia — a team spectacularly light on competitive fixtures for 18 months — an underdone England side offers no true indicator of where the side is at. Ashes wins are said to be the pinnacle for players, but its hard to deny the shine will be taken off victory against a second-string England side. For the fans, too, it would be hugely disappointing.
Home Ashes series come around every four years, and the buzz prior to the first Test is electric. While the sometimes myopic Australian/English focus on the Ashes can become tiresome, when it finally rolls around the payoff is considerable. But the usual level of excitement will be toned down if England’s best refused to play due to Australia’s strict Covid controls.
There’s a fourth stakeholder who will be least pleased should player withdrawals eventuate.
And that’s the broadcasters — in particular the Seven Network. Seven’s frustration with Cricket Australia only seems to heighten as its six-year broadcast deal goes on. An ugly, public spat eventuated last year when it felt it was paying for an inferior product due to Covid interruptions over the summer. If that were to happen in an Ashes year — the jewel in the crown of this broadcast deal — they’ll come even harder at CA for a refund.
Calls to shift the schedule, on the surface, appear sensible.
Pushing the Ashes back even a few weeks — for instance beginning the series on Boxing Day — would allow for a higher level of vaccination throughout the states and an increased willingness for relaxed bubble restrictions. However, for a number of reasons this would be fraught.
Both Seven and Fox would strongly object to having the Australian team run out for the first time halfway through a cricketing summer. Delaying the series would also mean the mens and womens Ashes (due to begin January 27) overlap, something CA had specifically looked to avoid.
Uncertainty over the summer is exacerbated by governance structures in Australia, which is understandably confusing and frustrating for England’s players.
Even if the ECB, CA and the Australian Government are singing from the same hymn sheet, changed Covid conditions in one state could derail the whole series. A swift, hardline decision by a premier (whose popularity might be built on such moves) on borders could throw everything into chaos. CA has a big job in convincing the ECB, and by extension its players, of conditions when they tour later this year. But they can only promise so much, and are at the mercy of many other decision-makers.
Wes P
Roar Rookie
Nup. For me it's crap. It's not sport anymore. Politics. Cricket Australia has no business meddling in Afghanistan politics and now the poms don't wanna come. Its Over. Incredibly sad but... Cricket is not relevant. The players have their contracts, sponsorships... Exploiting the kiddies at dads expense, if they have a dad. I struggle to get into it.. A summer without it. Will kill it. The players are pigs.
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
Media here is not covering how ROW is asking how can Australia not have capitalised on it's excellent initial COVID control. . I have sympathy for England cricketers, why should they feel what they are told today will actually be what eventuates? We all know that was is said today can be wiped out tomorrow. . Foreigners see decisions turned over from day to say. No roadmap. State borders closed at a whim. Distressed families barred from visiting relatives on palliative care, violent anti vaxxer protests, and State Premiers bickering. Australia is being unAustralian and is at war with itself.
Clear as mud
Guest
Terrible selections. and terrible environment. and then terrible selections on the tour. really, we should have come home. Going with all of Cosier, Hughes, Serjeant, Hookes, Davis and knowing Doug's England issues... just bizarre. Given Turner had only just been dropped from the Test team and had toured in 75 - what? Laird toured in 75 and had a good Shield. No Lillee and Thommo only just mended. O'Keefe was in the best form of his moderate career. But Cracker Hourn would have been an attacking option given the solid but unspectacular Raymond Bright. It's the poor form of 77 and the struggle against Pakistan in 76-7 that reveals the true nature of Australia's stocks post-Ian. I reckon that's part of the reason why the real establishment (WSC/PBL) love to glorify the Centenary Test so much, it was the one gleam of light in a rotten period. And the retirement of Redpath and Chappell and Edwards, following on from Stackpole and Sheahan, left poor Greg exposed, the only one from his cohort, and no quality young talent having been blooded - and invested in (Davis) during Ian's peak (McCosker was 28 when he debuted, Benaud 28, Edwards 29 and a half, they all contributed to success, but nothing to renewal.)
Ian
Roar Rookie
I remember that 1977 series vividly.Davis only played 3 tests and looked totally out of his class,Cosier never played at all,Hookes batted as if his shoelaces were tied together and while O'Keefe was lauded for his batting,his bowling was politely ignored.I can remember Craig Sergeant making runs at Lords but looking like a 4th grader everywhere else. Everybody has blamed WSC for the 3-0 defeat but you're right,they just weren't very good players.
Ian
Roar Rookie
That's my point.Between the 2 matches the Melbourne game was a wonderful occasion,a fantastic Test Match and a game that will be fondly remembered by all. The 1980 game was a fiasco,basically from start to finish.Played at the wrong ground,dodgy weather,weak umpires and in Englands case,a captain who seemed terrified to lose.
Clear as mud
Guest
Yeah, I know, I was watching every ball. Including Chapperll signalling "2 more overs" just before Hughes got out I'm just responding to the initial assertion that it was a sporting declaration.
Ian
Roar Rookie
He batted on a bit too long as he was trying to get Kim Hughes to his 2nd Hundred of the match.330 would have been a better target but unless they got Boycott out early that would have still been too many.
Clear as mud
Guest
It is unmitigated good news, for everybody
Clear as mud
Guest
Agree re Beefy but GS dawdled contextually in the second dig, and we were already 290 up at stumps. Could have set them 330.
Clear as mud
Guest
Funny. YouTube delivered me a lovely 90 minute thing last night. An ABC sort of highlights of the test. But the nicest bit was a Norman May at the airport and On the bus, greeting old players, from the truly great to the journeyman. They all looked pretty chuffed to be there. And it’s so nice to see footage of these guys when still relatively hearty and hale, the Dexters and Mays and Hassetts and Stork Hendryw. Larwood and Voce reunited. Incredible nostalgia and spirit. Agree that seemed to go missing in 1980. Lords, you say The great bit about 77nis all the suits, and then Chappell looking like he had come straight from a nightclub… All that tradition, all that spirit../ and all those WSC contracts being secretly signed behind the sheds. So many of the threads for the future formed over those 5 great days. (I just think it highlights how weak our team had become under Greg, primarily due to selection under Ian.. I mean Davis, Cosier. Hookes, o’Keefe, an out of form Gilmour, Tangles a bit on the wane… not one of the great Australian XI’s, really.)
Cari
Roar Rookie
Stokes is back in training with the England side, bad news for Astralia
Dave
Guest
You mean an '80s England who had a revolving door selection policy and a side also weakened by Bacher/Francis?
Dave
Guest
Yep. And the Ashes resumed in 1981, and then 82/83 when England were massively under-strength due to the rebel tour.
Dave
Guest
Because it was a series scheduled in addition to existing Ashes fixtures, and TCCB said Ashes series needed to be at least 5 Tests.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
You're not the only one on here in that regard! I'm sure most players give tests primacy too, but I'm sure playing for your country brings out the competitive spirit, regardless of uniform colour, especially with a world cup on the line.
CricDude
Guest
Yes Rohit is 34 now, but I think he has atleast 3-4 years more in him. Kohli's captaincy doesn't suit ODI format either. I don't mean to berate but I feel he doesn't have the tactics for shorter formats. His style will work for tests coz that format demands more energy and enthusiasm than tactics. Having said that, I also feel he has touched his saturation point in tests as well. There was a time when I wanted him to lead tests much earlier than the time he got. And to his credit, he has taken couple of things to the best possible state; one being the fitness and other the pace attack in tests. Now is the time to take the team one step more and I feel we need a change in the leadership; both captaincy and coaching. Rohit can be handed all 3 formats (atleast 50 and 20 over formats) until we find the next one. Pant has shown lot of maturity but I am not sure if he is ready for the big stage yet; good option though. Rahul has shown calmness while leading but tactically he is similar to Virat; he has to better that. In the domestic side, Manish Pandey and Jaydev Unadkat have been the best captains for me in the last few years but they will struggle to find a place in the Indian 11. So, I think Rohit is the best choice for the next 2-3 years. I would have loved Matthew Hayden or Gillespie or Mahela to coach the Indian team. Ramiz Raja has made the first move to take in Hayden for the Pak team. I hope BCCI ropes in Gillespie or Mahela soon.
Marto30
Roar Rookie
What about the fact that Australia have refused to play any test cricket for the last 18 months except for home tests. England have toured. Where does CA sit on the selfish scale
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Fair enough but careers are short therefore buckle up & enjoy the ride that moto gets lost from time to time! I’m a test match tragic & don’t have much time for the hit & giggle stuff l guess I’m a dinosaur on the extinction radar!
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Botham's speeches when playing and his commentary now sure aren't as exciting as his batting and bowling were.
Ian
Roar Rookie
He made some stupid comments about not caring what the crowd thought.He wasn't going to throw a Test away etc ignoring the fact that a packed house and millions on TV had sat through one of the most boring days of cricket ever played. It was a one off game and he should have made some effort to try to win it.