Ashes Tour: Hobart’s pitch to take on Test if Perth ruled out

With November’s Test against Afghanistan set to be cancelled due to the Taliban’s treatment of women, Hobart has set its sites on a much bigger goal.

Blundstone Arena before the first match in the Twenty20 series between Australia and England in Hobart, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014. (AAP Image/Rob Blakers) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, IMAGES TO BE USED FOR NEWS REPORTING PURPOSES ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE WHATSOEVER, NO USE IN BOOKS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AAP

Australia’s Test match against Afghanistan in Hobart will be called off in the next few days as that state joins the race to host the final Ashes Test.

Tasmanian Cricket chief executive Dom Baker said the proposed November Test against Afghanistan would be scrapped after the Taliban takeover of that nation resulted in a lack of support for their women’s cricket program.

“It (the Test) will be formally postponed indefinitely this week … that will come out in the next couple of days,’’ Baker told Hobart’s Triple M today.

“It is about giving the Afghanistan government some correction about what they have to do to get back into sport. It is not acceptable they don’t play female sport. If they want to play male sport they are going to have to rethink what they do with female sport.

Watch Live Coverage of the 21/22 Marsh One-Day Cup Live & Free on Kayo Freebies. No Credit Card. No-brainer. Join Now

Blundstone Arena could host an Ashes Test if Perth is dropped from this summer’s schedule. Picture: AAP Image/Rob Blakers

“We will not cancel it altogether because we will give them the chance to see how female cricket becomes part of their program.’’

Senior Cricket Australian officials including chief executive Nick Hockley spent several hours talking to former Afghanistan coach Peter Anderson who had pleaded for the Test to go ahead.

But the reality of the situation was that even if CA wanted to play the Test they would have been given strong advice not to by the Federal Government.

Tasmania will join Sydney and Canberra in bidding for the final Ashes Test when is scheduled for Perth but will not be able to be played in that state if it’s current quarantine laws remain unchanged.

“We will be ready and willing to play a Test here if we get an opportunity,’’ Baker said on Triple M.

BIGGEST LOSER: HUGE ASHES BLOW LOOMING LARGE

Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck says there are serious doubts Perth will be able to host an Ashes Test this summer.

The state’s strict border policies look likely to banish any prospect the quarantine-shy English players would travel to WA for the fifth Test.

The news comes as the pandemic caused further chaos for the Australian summer.

The covers are put back on the pitch at Ian Healy Oval on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and Tasmania has been called off because of positive cases in Brisbane.

Initially the game was delayed for 24 hours, but it has since been called off and will be rescheduled.

Players refused to comment as they left the ground, however Cricket Tasmania said in a statement that the decision to abandon the game had not been taken lightly.

“While the situation in Queensland hasn’t prevent the match from commencing today, a cautious and considered approach is being taken and it is our strong opinion that we are better having our players and staff home as we build a better understanding of the current landscape,” the statement said.

The entire competition on which Australia will rely on heavily to prepare players for the Ashes is in a state of flux, with hardly any games scheduled.

The WA government’s demands that all visitors quarantine for two weeks makes the current Ashes schedule impossible.

Colbeck told Perth’s 6PR the cricketers didn’t want to quarantine.

“We’ve had to do a lot of work to organise quarantine arrangements for cricketers coming into Australia,” he said.

Australia regained the Ashes the last time they played England in Perth.

The Ashes is scheduled to conclude in Perth after the New Year’s Test in Sydney.

“There’s serious questions about whether there’ll be a Test match in Perth this summer,” Colbeck said.

“If there’s no chance of coming here without prolonged quarantine, it just won’t occur.”

This week’s Test between the Australian and Indian women’s sides, starting on Thursday, was moved from the WACA to Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast for similar reasons.

There have been suggestions the schedule could be shuffled to accommodate Perth.

England’s concerns about quarantine have eased recently with assurances they can train and play. The visitors have also been promised a level of freedom once quarantine is finished.

Heat unveil Lynn’s BBL replacement

The Brisbane Heat have appointed Jimmy Peirson their new captain following Chris Lynn’s decision to stand down.

Peirson, 28, made a strong impression last season standing in when Lynn was injured, winning three of five games and losing the other two games by one and two runs.

Peirson’s batting form has also improved sharply since he paid $5000 for a bowling machine which he uses for private practice.

The announcement reunites new Heat coach Wade Seccombe and Peirson as a leadership team after the pair first did so in the Queensland Under-19 squad in 2011.

“When Chris informed us that he would be stepping down, we knew there was a good opportunity to review and renew the leadership roles,’’ Seccombe said.

Jimmy Peirson has been named Brisbane Heat’s new captain.

“When it came time to formalise our thinking during the off-season, Darren (Lehmann) and I, the Heat committee and the rest of the staff were on the same page around making Jimmy captain for the BBL this summer.

“It’s a big job and so we wanted him to have plenty of time to consider the role and what sort of things he expected from the club and the coaching staff if he was to take on the role.