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Covid concerns have Australian cricketers considering refusing to play the fourth match of the T20 series in Auckland on Friday.
Auckland has been on alert since a community outbreak of Covid-19 on Valentine’s Day. That has prompted Australia to impose border restrictions on arrivals from Auckland, restrictions that are at the heart of the team’s concern.
Starting Thursday, people arriving in Australian states and having traveled through Auckland will be able to pay a quarantine period at the hotel or fly back to New Zealand.
Having already spent 14 days in quarantine, it is understood that the Australian team is wary of playing in Auckland. AAP reported on Saturday.
Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
Australian captain Aaron Finch, left, shakes hands with New Zealand captain Kane Williamson after their second T20 international cricket match between Australia and New Zealand.
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New Zealand is at alert level one, with no limits on pickup sizes or movement, but alert level two would mean the game could have no fans. Auckland this month had three days at level three.
Even at alert level one, Australian players can refuse to play. After a long summer of cricket in various bubbles and confinements, they are said to be in no mood to quarantine again.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis has a hit at Miramar Golf Club prior to the T20 International game in Wellington.
If Australian travel restrictions remain for travelers residing in Auckland for the next week, Cricket Australia (CA) will consider your options.
“Nobody wants these guys to quarantine themselves twice,” said a CA source.
If Auckland is considered a red zone, CA will put pressure on New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to quit or change the game.
At this stage, NZC is not entertaining the prospect. The teams are scheduled to play in Wellington on Wednesday, Auckland on Friday and Tauranga on Sunday week.
“Our position is that at level one everything remains the same, at level two we play behind closed doors, at level three we don’t play,” said NZC public affairs manager Richard Boock AAP.
“We have no plans to change headquarters from Eden Park.”
Albert Perez / Getty Images
Stacey Marinkovich and Australian Diamonds are also in New Zealand.
CA may also need to organize a new flight home for the players.
They are currently booked on a Qantas flight from Auckland on Monday, but will look to make alternate arrangements if that doesn’t go ahead or if boarding that flight requires players to self-quarantine.
There have been no cases in Wellington or Tauranga, the host cities of game three on March 3 and game five on March 7, for months, which means those games are considered blocked.
It remains to be seen if either party softens its position ahead of the long-awaited March 5 crash.
The last time the teams met at Eden Park, Australia set a T20 world pursuit record of 245 to win.
Tens of thousands of tickets have been sold for the meeting, which is also very important for the cash-strapped NZC.
Meanwhile, contingency planning continues in the background, and everyone is praying that there will be no new community cases.
There was good news on Saturday, as health officials announced no new cases in the past 24 hours.
But that may not last with a person who later tested positive going to work at an Auckland KFC earlier this week when they were supposed to be in isolation.
The Valentine’s Day cluster, originally three cases, has spread to 12 people in the past 15 days.
The difficult situation is also faced by netballers from Australia, who play a four-game Constellation Cup series next week.
However, as the Diamonds’ games are scheduled in Christchurch and Tauranga, they can avoid Auckland, until they catch a flight home.
