Sheffield Shield: Aussie domestic showpiece competition loses one round after South Australia bio-security call
Cricket continues to bear the brunt of government frustration over some unfortunate AFL COVID-19 headlines, with Australia’s four-day domestic competition the latest target.
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The Sheffield Shield fixture has been cut by one round as the summer of cricket continues to wear the scars of the AFL’s COVID-19 headlines this year.
News Corp understands that an overzealous South Australian biosecurity official put an abrupt end to a Victoria training session last month, compromising the state’s Round 1 preparations.
The health official ordered Victoria’s players off the secondary ground at Adelaide Oval on October 17 and then cancelled planned sessions for both that afternoon and the following Monday.
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The Vics were confined to their Playford Hotel quarters as their quarantine guidelines dramatically tightened midway through their 14-day stint in Adelaide.
The sudden clampdown followed South Australia’s review into the state wrongly granting the relatives of six Port Adelaide players exemptions to enter from Victoria to watch the AFL qualifying final against Geelong.
That embarrassing fiasco heightened the paranoia in South Australia, and Victoria was limited to training in groups of four despite flying over its squad of 18 players.
Sydney Swans teenager Elijah Taylor’s serious COVID-19 breach while in quarantine at Joondalup in August contributed to the Western Australia government blocking Cricket Australia’s hopes of starting the international summer in Perth.
Victoria‘s training restrictions meant rookie coach Chris Rogers was only allowed to train with three players.
Swapping training groups was not permitted.
Only three groups (12 people) were allowed to train on the ground at the same time and they were ordered to remain separated.
Cricket Australia’s code of conduct register says Cricket Victoria powerbroker Shaun Graf was handed a Level 1 charge and a fully suspended fine of $5000.
The minor slap on the wrist stemmed from the biosecurity guard’s decision to put a sudden stop to Victoria’s training.
Cricket Victoria believed its liberal quarantine morphed into semi-hard confinement, and the draconian restrictions left Rogers’ team – particularly its fast bowlers, led by Scott Boland – in no state to play for points.
Cricket Australia agreed that it would be unfair to ask Victoria to play a competitive four-day match just days after exiting quarantine and decided to slice a round off the season, bringing it back to nine rounds.
Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association had been determined to get a full 10-round season away.
The baby Vics – who have won four of the past Sheffield Shield six titles – are due to take on Western Australia on Sunday.
South Australia escaped with a draw against Victoria after last week’s record 486-run partnership between openers Will Pucovski and Marcus Harris.