How will Covid impact the summer of cricket in wake of Tahlia McGrath’s Comm Games participation?
The decision to allow Tahlia McGrath to play in the Comm Games gold-medal game has divided opinion, but what if it happens in Australia this summer?
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Cricket Australia will work closely with Governments about a reduction in virus isolation periods before the summer, following Covid-positive Tahlia McGrath’s stunning part in the Commonwealth Games final.
It remains unlikely a McGrath-type situation could play out at home soil because CA is bound to follow the advice of local authorities, however there is a push to reduce the current seven-day mandatory isolation period to five days before the Twenty20 World Cup kicks off in October.
The green light given to McGrath was in accordance with local rules in the United Kingdom which allowed Commonwealth Games officials to treat positive cases among athletes on a case-by-case basis.
That flexibility doesn’t currently exist in Australia, but a Cricket Australia spokesperson confirmed that the governing body’s position would depend entirely on the latest advice from authorities at the time.
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If drastic changes were made to Government rules – which isn’t out of the question given there’s still months to go until the heart of the summer – cricket is perfectly positioned to adapt.
There were several instances last Big Bash season where close contacts and international arrivals were permitted to play matches, by using separate change rooms and taking other precautions to isolate from teammates during play.
It is a sport that naturally lends itself to social distancing, more than the football codes.
Of course what made McGrath’s case so bizarre for Australian audiences was the fact she was actually Covid positive, but it at least it showed cricket bosses what’s possible if Government rules become more flexible.
It was somewhat chastening to see McGrath up on the podium celebrating Australia’s gold medal with teammates (albeit wearing a mask), particularly when last summer men’s captain Pat Cummins was ruled out of a Test match for spending 30 seconds in the presence of a positive case at a restaurant.
But even a reduction in the isolation period from seven days to five – which Governments will discuss implementing after September – would be a huge boost for the World Cup and the Big Bash, given the chaos caused in the BBL last summer by positive cases.
As much as the Australian team would welcome more flexible Government rules, it’s a fine line, because from a performance point of view, having six or seven players taking the field with even minor symptoms is not ideal in international sport.
CA won’t impose any extra isolation requirements on players above and beyond if a player is Covid positive, meaning Australian stars will be able to return to eating and drinking in public and generally getting back to normal.
Australia burst the bubble to a large extent on their recent tour of Sri Lanka, with players interacting with media again and allowed to frequent local eateries.
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Originally published as How will Covid impact the summer of cricket in wake of Tahlia McGrath’s Comm Games participation?
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