Xtra Time Web Desk: A fresh case of COVID-19 in Sydney has raised concerns among Cricket Australia and the broadcasters. So much so that Australian cricketer David Warner, who is currently in Sydney recovering from the groin injury he suffered during the ODI series may be asked to travel to Melbourne early for the Boxing Day test. Warner may be flown to Melbourne early to avoid any potential further border restrictions to Victoria.
As a precautionary measure most of the Sydney-based members of the broadcast team in Adelaide were stood down on Friday morning. Former Australian cricketer and commentator Brett Lee already flew home to Sydney. CA issued a directive to all media covering the Test match to report if they had visited the northern beaches region in the past three weeks.
Cricket Australia meanwhile has declared that the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India is not threatened by a fresh COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney
“There’s been lots of discussion and meetings of our medical experts, but this is the reason why throughout the summer we’ve had our players in bubbles in the hub,” CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley told SEN Radio.
“We’re monitoring the situation; we’re not panicking at all, staying calm… … it’s really watch, wait and see and I think the governments around the country have handled the pandemic so well, so we’ll watch, learn and stay in touch.”
On whether the SCG Test was in doubt, Hockley said: “I don’t think so – this is the very reason why we have the hubs in place…
“Our medical experts have been working around the clock, we’re in very good communication with health authorities around the country. It’s one of the things we’ve had to navigate with getting cricket up safely.”
Hockley further said the governing body has contingency plans in place and stressed that the next three days will be crucial.
“If the game can be played safely (in Sydney) then we’ll play it there. That’s our starting point, so it’s working with the health authorities to ascertain that,” he said.
“We started out thinking how to play the full series as safely as possible, and we’ll take the same approach over the coming days and weeks.