Cricket Australia (CA) has defended its COVID-19 bio-security protocols and confirmed that Test captain Pat Cummins didn’t breach anything after he was forced to withdraw from the second Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 against England for being in close contact with a COVID-19 case.
Cummins was ruled out of the second Ashes Test, which is a day-night contest against England in Adelaide, after dining in the same restaurant as a COVID-19 positive case on Wednesday night.
Cricket Australia (CA) has also confirmed that Cummins underwent a PCR test which returned negative after being seen in close contact with a positive person, but as per bio-security protocols, the skipper had to isolate himself for 7 days before joining the Australian camp.
CA said in a statement on Thursday (December 16): “Cummins was dining in a restaurant last night and didn’t breach any biosecurity protocols. He isolated as soon as he became aware of the situation and has since had a PCR Test, which produced a negative result.”
The Australian board added: “South Australia (SA) Health has confirmed that Cummins is close contact and will be required to isolate for seven days. As a consequence, Cummins is unavailable to play in the second Vodafone Ashes Men’s Test match in Adelaide, starting today.”
Steve Smith captained Australia in the absence of Cummins and Travis Head was named his deputy in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide. Michael Neser made his Test debut in place of Cummins.
CA signed off by saying that “Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were dining at the same restaurant as Cummins, but at a separate table outdoors. SA Health has deemed them casual contacts and they are free to play in the second Test.”
Meanwhile, CA CEO Nick Hockley told reporters at Adelaide Oval: “We have protocols that flex according to risk levels of each jurisdiction. We are looking at them every single day. We are comfortable with the protocols with what they are for SA (South Australia).”
Hockley concluded, “We don’t want to completely lock down the players, we want to take a proportionate approach, we are very conscious of their mental wellbeing.”
Notably, the Australian players are all fully vaccinated and are only allowed to head out in public in small groups in Adelaide, South Australia (92 cases), where active COVID-19 cases remain low.
(With Reuters Inputs)
