Ashes will go ahead with or without Joe Root: Australian captain

Australia captain Tim Paine said the Ashes will go ahead regardless of some England players’ reluctance to deal with tough COVID-19 quarantine restrictions.

England skipper Joe Root and others on his team have expressed doubts about the tour due to ‘bubble fatigue’ and concerns their families will not be able to travel with them due to Australia’s strict protocols. “The Ashes are going ahead. The first Test is on December 8 whether Joe is here or not,” Paine told radio station SEN Hobart. “It’ll be worked out above us and then they’ll have a choice whether to get on that plane or not. No one is forcing any England player to come. That’s the beauty of the world we live in — you have a choice. If you don’t want to come, don’t come,” he added.

Cricket Australia is negotiating with authorities and England’s board over travel conditions and whether players’ families can come. Australia has caps on international arrivals and there is a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine even for the fully vaccinated. Former England batsman turned pundit Kevin Pietersen said England players should not travel if placed under any restrictions. “There is no way I would go to The Ashes this winter. Zero chance!” he tweeted. “Unless, the ridiculous quarantine rules were squashed and my family could travel with zero restrictions.”