Cricket Australia (CA) expressed regret for Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) members and fans who had been preparing for the final Ashes 2021-22 Test for some time after they were forced to move the fifth Test between Australia and England out of Perth due to their strict COVID restrictions.
Given the current COVID-19 situation following the emergence of the Omicron variant, the border controls, quarantine requirements, and other complexities made it impossible to align the respective priorities of the WA government, CA, and WA Cricket, forcing the shift of the fifth Ashes Test match out of Perth.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO, in an official release, said: “We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the WA Government, relevant agencies, and Perth Stadium over recent months. We are very disappointed that we are unable to stage the fifth Vodafone men's Ashes Test at Perth Stadium.”
He concluded, “We did everything we could in partnership with the WA Government and WA Cricket to make it work under the current border and health arrangements, but unfortunately, this was not possible.”
At the moment, the discussions about a replacement venue for the fifth and final Test are underway, with the Ashes series getting underway in Brisbane from December 8.
(With ANI Inputs)
