Elijah Taylor WAG drama threatens Cricket Australia’s biosecurity plans
Cricket Australia is in locked in desperate negotiations with the Western Australia Government - spooked by a daring AFL WAG breach - that could have major implications come summer.
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The secret hotel room rendezvous between an AFL player and his young partner could force Cricket Australia to reshape its summer schedule.
Western Australia Government officials are so filthy at having their pants pulled down by the AFL over the daring antics of 19-year-old Sydney Swans star Elijah Taylor, it is now threatening cricket’s plans to quarantine their international superstars in Perth.
It’s crucial that champion quicks Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are allowed to keep their bowling workloads up while serving two weeks of quarantine when they return home from overseas, otherwise preparations for the mega Test summer against India will be thrown into jeopardy.
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With the Australian white ball squad due back from the UK in just over two weeks’ time, the clock is ticking on finding a quarantine destination for them to return to.
Cricket Australia is close to finalising details of India’s tour with the BCCI and an announcement on the international schedule could be provided to agitated broadcasters by early next week.
But while most pieces of the puzzle appear comfortably locked in place, there remain question marks over Perth’s place in the picture thanks to the Swans’ rookie’s 18-year-old girlfriend sneaking inside the AFL bubble.
“The AFL gave us every assurance this wouldn‘t happen. The Swans have let us down, the AFL has let us down. We’re disappointed in both organisations,” said WA Premier Mark McGowan a fortnight ago.
Now CA is being impacted by the fallout.
Cricket officials are pulling out all stops to convince the WA Government to rubberstamp a plan where Australian players – returning in two shifts from the UK in September and then the IPL in November – can train at the WACA and stay at a nearby hotel as part of a strict biosecurity bubble.
But WA are making quarantine restrictions even more stringent.
There has been strong speculation that Cricket Australia was planning to play a fair chunk of its international cricket in Perth before Christmas, with the potential for one-dayers in late November and Tests against Afghanistan and possibly even India that could be played in the West.
CA sources said it was too early to tell whether the WA Government clamp down could impact on what cricket Perth can host this summer.
But if the quarantine proposal is rejected by WA and CA is forced to look at another State to hub its returning stars from overseas, it throws a spanner in the works, particularly when WA still has very strict quarantining requirements for sports teams travelling domestically as well.
The bottom line is it’s not an option for Australia to have thoroughbreds Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood stuck in a hotel room for two weeks unable to bowl, and if WA can’t give the green light, officials would have to lock in an alternative quarantining site elsewhere in the country with access to training facilities.
It’s understood those Plan B options are in place and in that sense, CA aren’t sweating that the impasse with WA will impact on their ability to put out a schedule.
The international equation is throwing up curve balls for cricket that the football codes didn’t have to contend with.
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It’s expected CA will make announcements on its domestic men’s and women’s schedules later this week, with the WBBL and Sheffield Shield competitions set for hubs, possibly in Sydney and Adelaide respectively.
Originally published as Elijah Taylor WAG drama threatens Cricket Australia’s biosecurity plans