Ashes: CA working actively to keep Perth Test, families of players also to be allowed, says Hockley

Perth
is
scheduled
to
host
the
fifth
Ashes
Test
starting
January
14.
But
the
strict
COVID-19
restrictions
enforced
by
the
West
Australian
government
has
led
to
doubts
that
final
fixture
may
have
to
be
moved
to
another
city.

“Cricket
is
a
non-contact
sport,
we’ve
shown
through
last
season
that
our
cricketers
are
very
responsible
in
terms
of
complying
with
all
the
biosecurity
protocols,”
Hockley
told
‘The
Sydney
Morning
Herald.’

CA
was
faced
with
a
similar
COVID-19
situation
last
year
during
the
home
series
against
India
but
were
able
to
pull
off
all
the
fixtures
as
per
schedule.

No
Stokes
or
Archer
in
England
squad
for
Ashes
tour
of
Australia

“There’s
a
lot
of
experience
now
of
being
able
to
play
elite
level
sport
at
Perth
Stadium
while
being
in
a
biosecure
environment,
and
that’s
the
detailed
discussion
that
is
going
on
at
the
moment
with
the
WA
government.

“It’d
be
the
first
Ashes
Test
at
the
new
stadium,
it’s
a
magnificent
stadium,
we
know
Perth
will
turn
out
in
really
big
numbers.

“So
we’re
working
very
actively
and
constructively
on
being
able
to
play
in
Perth
in
a
way
that
provides
a
fantastic
experience
for
both
sets
of
players,
but
also
keeps
the
WA
community
safe,”
Hockley
added.

There
had
been
a
lot
of
speculation
over
the
series
with
many
England
players
including
Test
captain
Joe
Root
raising
concerns
over
travelling
with
family
members
amid
strict
COVID
restrictions
Down
Under,
with
some
even
mulling
pulling
out
of
the
tour.

While
travel
to
to
Adelaide,
Melbourne
and
Sydney
may
not
pose
a
challenge,
WA’s
strict
border
restriction
remains
a
hurdle.

However,
when
asked
about
the
arrangements,
Hockley
said
the
families
of
the
players
would
also
be
able
to
make
the
trip
to
Perth
from
Sydney.

“Our
commitment
is,
one,
that
we
complete
the
tour
safely
but
also,
two,
it’s
a
fantastic
experience
for
both
squads,
so
there’s
no
suggestion
(families
wouldn’t
join
the
teams
in
Perth).”

“We
are
actively
engaged
in
really
positive
discussions
with
the
West
Australian
government
and
West
Australian
Cricket
as
we
speak,”
Hockley
reiterated.

“We’ve
got
great
previous
experience
of
having
played
in
WA
in
quarantine
conditions
through
the
BBL
last
year
–
we
played
five
matches
in
January
last
year
at
Perth
Stadium,”
he
added.

In
order
to
convince
the
English
players
to
go
ahead
with
the
series,
CA
took
additional
insights
from
a
top
bureaucrat
from
the
Queensland
government.

“What
we’ve
done
all
the
way
through
is
brought
in
all
the
relevant
experts,
whether
it’s
medical
experts
or
others,”
Hockley
said.

“So
we
had
support
from
one
of
the
senior
bureaucrats
who’s
been
supporting
us
with
the
inbound
quarantine
arrangements,
so
state
government.

“We
also
have
to
understand
it’s
a
different
perspective
–
England
have
throughout
the
course
of
their
summer
certain
arrangements,
England’s
been
open
much
more,
whereas
they
hear
of
lockdowns
and
those
kinds
of
things
here,”
he
added.