Ashes 2021/22: Australia v England set to go ahead after 11th hour meeting
Australia has a new-found respect for England skipper Joe Root after helping to save the Ashes series with some his behind-the-scenes leadership.
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Australia has a fresh respect for Joe Root after he went from interrogator to opinion shaper in saving the Ashes.
Root was the man asking all the hard questions in a series of pressurised 11th hour meetings with Cricket Australia this week, but his decision to lay his cards on the table and commit to the tour has proven a crucial piece of behind-the-scenes leadership.
If the English captain and father of two small children had turned his back on quarantine conditions, the tour would have been in turmoil, but it was Root who convinced players to take the plunge, and now there is optimism England may even send a full-strength squad.
Uncertainty remains over whether superstar all-rounder and No.1 drawcard Ben Stokes will make the trip after taking several months off to look after his mental health. But he has not yet been ruled out ahead of the tour being officially rubber stamped and the squad picked by the end of the week.
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Warhorses Stuart Broad and James Anderson will saddle up for one last shootout with rivals David Warner and Steve Smith, while there are suggestions gun wicketkeeper Jos Buttler might also be back on board after originally hesitating about the prospect of leaving behind his small children for the tour.
Ashes legend Ian Botham lit a fuse under the England players on the eve of their final meeting with CA by questioning whether the current squad fancied taking on “the ultimate test.”
But Root responded to the brutal taunt by leading from the front.
It’s understood Root was a classy presence in the meetings, asking questions on behalf of his teammates about quarantine conditions, but also listening and trusting the information and assurances provided by CA chief executive Nick Hockley.
A couple of weeks ago Root had refused to guarantee he would tour Australia as he sought more information about conditions, prompting a rebuke from Australian counterpart Tim Paine who said: “The Ashes are going ahead … whether Joe is here or not.”
The comments were criticised as lacking empathy by former England captain Nasser Hussain, but Root’s squad have also been clipped by the likes of Botham and Mark Butcher for not manning up for cricket’s ultimate prize.
Root averages 50 in Test cricket and is one of the modern-day giants of Test match batting, but in nine matches on Australian soil has not yet made a 100.
However, the baby-faced assassin has grown as a leader since he last visited Australian shores and if this week’s crisis meetings were anything to go by, Root is a man England players want to follow into battle.
England selectors have declared they won’t rush back Stokes from his time out of the game, but if they are able to name him in their Ashes squad it would give the series a blockbuster boost which would instantly put pressure back on Australia.
After fretting over England’s quarantine arrangements, Australia have their own hurdles to overcome in getting players scattered across the country and overseas in the UAE into Queensland ahead of the first Test.
NSW and Victorian players led by Nathan Lyon, Will Pucovski and James Pattinson will play in two Sheffield Shield matches between the two States starting later this month in either Sydney or Melbourne, and from there those picked for Australia will head to Queensland to complete 14-days quarantine alongside the stars returning from the T20 World Cup.
Test players from ‘clean States’ like Tasmanian Tim Paine and West Australia’s Cameron Green will likely avoid quarantine in Queensland and will train separately until after teammates have served their two weeks.
The cancellation of the Afghanistan Test match has bought Australia more preparation time ahead of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, and it’s likely a red ball tour match will be organised, possibly against an Australia A side in Brisbane.
Who will be our most important players as we try to win back the urn this winter? ðŸ´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿ðŸ pic.twitter.com/6xYzVWlAc3
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 10, 2021
ASHES SET TO BE SAVED AFTER $200M GREEN LIGHT
Australia’s $200 million Ashes summer is set to be saved following an 11th hour meeting on Tuesday night.
England captain Joe Root has reportedly committed to leading England into battle for the pandemic Ashes, after being satisfied with the conditions promised to his side by Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley in a series of urgent talks.
The UK Telegraph is reporting the Ashes tour will be signed off on by the end of the week, with England to field close to a full-strength side – with the possible exception of star wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
CA is also confident the tour will be green-lit, but are yet to receive official confirmation from their ECB counterparts who will hold a board meeting later this week.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan indicated the touring party was likely to be full-strength.
“The Ashes will happen … I also think most if not all players will travel,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Ashes will happen .. I also think most if not all players will travel .. ðŸ‘👠#Ashes
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 5, 2021
England’s hesitancy to tour has polarised opinion across the cricket world, with players worried about bio bubbles receiving sympathy from the likes of Nasser Hussain, but condemned by Ashes legends like Ian Botham and Allan Border.
Cricket Australia has gone to unprecedented lengths to satisfy the fears of the tourists, with favourable quarantine conditions on the Gold Coast, and the promise of flying in the family members of England players to quarantine for a shortened period, possibly in Victoria, before Christmas.
England players were most worried about subjecting their families to 14-day quarantine in their rooms, and about the prospect of being locked into a State if an outbreak occurs.
Cricket Australia intends to stick with the Ashes schedule of playing matches in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, however, will not hesitate to take a Test away from a city if State Governments make conditions too restrictive.
Cities like Sydney and Melbourne will be on standby to host extra Tests.
It’s understood the likes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow asked questions on behalf of players in the series of meetings with Hockley this week, however CA were always confident England would tour.
That’s despite an ominous statement released by the ECB on Monday night, forecasting the team might not tour if they can’t pull together a strong enough squad.
England will be allowed to train and play a tour match while serving their 14-days quarantine in Queensland, with reserve players also part of the initial touring party.
The positive news out of England is a giant sigh of relief to Cricket Australia and their broadcast partners and sponsors.
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Originally published as Ashes 2021/22: Australia v England set to go ahead after 11th hour meeting
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