Ashes Tour Diary: No Reason To Celebrate Birthday Boy Joe Root As Australia Keep Options Open | Top stories
Ashes Tour Diary: No Reason To Celebrate Birthday Boy Joe Root As Australia Keep Options Open
| Top stories | Google News
fter news that head coach Chris Silverwood will miss the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney after one of his family has contracted the virus, England are continuing their preparations with assistant coach Graham Thorpe taking care of load the team.
Here, Standard Sport cricket correspondent Will Macpherson provides the final installment of his Australia visit book …
England running out of dog throwers
The loss of Chris Silverwood leaves England short of bowling expertise and net-throwing skills among their coaching staff ahead of the Sydney test.
If tested negative, spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel, fast bowling coach Jon Lewis and strength and conditioning coach Daz Veness could join the squad for the second day of the match, at the end of their period of isolation.
Silverwood’s official isolation period ends at the same time, as he is currently only close contact. But at this point, he wants to stay with his family until their isolation is over. If he continues to test negative, he can decide later in the week that his family is comfortable without him, and he can travel to Sydney when it is time to test.
Graham Thorpe is in charge and led another low-key net session at MCG this morning. English bowlers from the third test showed up, with the exception of Ben Stokes, while Zak Crawley and Haseeb Hameed were back alongside unused Melbourne hitters.
Only Thorpe and Ant Botha are experienced dog throwers among the group, which meant that the security staff and Rory Burns were trying their hand.
“We found out about it late last night,” Jimmy Anderson said. “It’s frustrating, we were tested again this morning – the whole team – and I just hope that doesn’t spread any further and we can make sure everyone is safe and able to make it to Sydney. .
“Frustration for him, but I hope we try to control the spread as much as possible, use the security protocols around the hotel.” “
The English side, however, must pass a final round of testing today before the Sydney test can even be considered.
It’s hard to avoid the feeling that the virus is about to disrupt Australian cricket significantly.
Not only did these seven English party members test positive, but David Boon, the Australian legend and current match referee, tested positive, excluding him from the fourth test. Steve Bernard, a member of the ICC international referees panel and based in NSW, will intervene, in hopes that Boon, a Tasmanian, can return for the final test in Hobart. If this happens.
And the Big Bash has also been hit. Melbourne Stars v Perth Scorchers was canceled due to a single positive test among a member of the Stars’ support team; a curious contrast to the Fourth Test, which proceeded as planned under similar circumstances.
To minimize the risk, the England and Australia teams are now getting separate flights to Sydney, rather than leaving together.
Thursday was Joe Root’s 31st birthday. With the lost ashes, trying to avoid Covid probably wasn’t how he imagined spending it but, as he could tell, it is. Only Alastair Cook had scored more test runs in his 31st than Root.
At a similar stage of the tour four years ago, Root caught a gastrointestinal virus at his son Alf’s first birthday party. It seems rather small considering what they’re trying to keep out of camp now.
Lots of interest in the possibility of Mitchell Swepson, the Queensland leggie, making his Sydney debut. Selection chief George Bailey said there was no doubt Swepson was ready. “If conditions allow, we would like to give Sweppo a chance,” he said.
There is no certainty Scott Boland would play, even after such an extraordinary debut, as Josh Hazlewood loosened up after his side strain, while Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins were kindly given two more days off from England after the third test. Hazlewood, Bailey said, would be trusted to make his own call on whether or not he was ready.
“I’d much rather have this headache and hard decisions to make than scratch our heads trying to find a solution to a problem,” Bailey said.
“So I’m looking forward to working on this one and a few hard-to-have conversations at some point, but I would love nothing more than to have a full team to choose from.”
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