Cricket Australia transported players, including test skipper Tim Paine and star hitter Marnus Labuschagne, to New South Wales from Adelaide on Tuesday in a bid to save the series against India as a coronavirus outbreak in South Australia threatened the next summer. While Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania closed their borders with South Australia on Monday, the country’s cricket board brought players from Australia’s white ball, test match and Australia A teams to Sydney from Adelaide to ensure that upcoming matches $ 300 million The dollar season is not affected.
“CA has taken a proactive approach and mobilized multiple people across the country over the past 24 hours to prop up our men’s national and international schedules,” CA Acting Executive Director Nick Hockley said, quoted by ‘ESPNCricinfo’ .
“I would like to thank the players and staff for their understanding regarding the changes to their travel schedules and for their commitment to ensuring that the summer of cricket is a great success.”
In addition to Paine and Labuschagne, the list of relocated players includes colleagues Matthew Wade, Travis Head and Cameron Green, among others.
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Despite the increase in COVID cases and related developments, CA maintained that the Adelaide Oval will host the first test of the summer against India starting December 17.
Hockley added: “I would also like to thank the various leadership groups from across Australian cricket for coming together over the past 48 hours and taking swift and decisive action, which was made possible by careful cross-department contingency planning.
“CA will continue to monitor the situation in South Australia and the resulting border restrictions across the country.
“As always, we will remain agile to address the challenges posed by the pandemic and remain more confident than ever to host a safe and successful summer in all formats.”
Previously, CA promised that all possible measures would be explored to ensure that the series proceeds as planned.
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A new coronavirus outbreak in Adelaide on Monday forced Australian players, including Paine, to isolate themselves.
A cluster of COVID-19 cases in Adelaide prompted other states such as Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory to close their borders with South Australia and impose a 14-day hotel quarantine on all visitors to Adelaide effective Monday at noon.
India is in Australia for a long tour comprising three ODIs, as many T20 Internationals and four Tests.
The tour will begin on November 27 with the first ODI in Sydney, while the Test series begins on December 17 with a day and night game in Adelaide.
The visitors are currently under quarantine in Sydney.
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