Aussie seamer Kane Richardson chooses to stay with family rather than enter Sydney playing hub

The Aussie bowler who gave up a $900,000 IPL contract to be at the birth of his first child has now decided against entering Sydney’s COVID hub.

Kane Richardson (right) has chosen to stay with his family in Adelaide and will miss the limited overs series against India. Picture: Punit Paranjpe / AFP

Aussie quick Kane Richardson has become the first player to opt out of the Sydney training bubble and chosen to stay with his wife and newborn son in Adelaide.

The seamer, who also gave up a $900,000 Indian Premier League contract to be at the birth of his first child who was born last week, will be replaced by Andrew Tye.

Richardson had been picked in the ODI and T20 squads to face India in Sydney and Canberra, starting on November 27.

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Kane Richardson has opted to stay in Adelaide with his wife and newborn child.

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Aussie coach Justin Langer has said numerous times recently that looking after the mental wellbeing of all players was a priority this summer, with an extraordinary schedule set to put them on the road for months at a time.

Langer said any player who wanted to opt out would be supported.

Richardson wasn’t part of a mass exodus of players from Adelaide on Tuesday as Cricket Australia moved to get everyone out as the COVID cluster there continued to grow.

“It was a difficult decision for Kane to make but one which has the complete support of the selectors and the entire playing squad,” national selector Trevor Hohns said.

“Kane wanted to remain in Adelaide with Nyki and their newborn son. We will always support our players and their families; even more so given the challenging environment we are in.

“We will miss what he brings to the team but completely understand and support his decision.”

Richardson skipped the IPL after taking part in Australia’s tour of England in August and September, which required more than a month in a biosecurity bubble.

JUST IN: Adelaide's COVID cluster has led to three new faces being added to Australia's training group in Sydney. FULL STORY: https://t.co/860LiD3cc9 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/BdxrfhxLBz

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 17, 2020

Players and staff from Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland who are involved in the ODI and T20 series against India travelled to Sydney on Tuesday, earlier than planned.

Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Tye and D’Arcy Short were the players affected, while Josh Philippe is already in quarantine in Sydney having recently returned from the Indian Premier League.

CA made the call to move personnel early after players returning from the Marsh Sheffield Shield hub in Adelaide were subject to changed border conditions following the outbreak in the city‘s north.

While WA, Tasmania and Queensland have closed their border with South Australia, NSW have not, meaning players were able to travel to Sydney without quarantining.

But given the uncertainty surrounding the Adelaide cluster, CA decided to get players to NSW early in case of further border closures.

The remainder of Australia‘s white-ball squad are due to assemble in Sydney on Sunday.

West Australian batsmen Short and Philippe will also train with the squad from next week.

As the situation in Adelaide developed, Short flew to Sydney with fellow West Australian Green as a precaution.

“CA has taken a proactive approach and mobilised a number of people across the country over the past 24 hours to shore up our men’s domestic and international schedules,” Cricket Australia interim CEO Nick Hockley said.

Cameron Green gets his temperature checked at Perth Airport.

“I would like to thank the players and staff for their understanding regarding the changes to their travel schedules and for their commitment to ensuring the summer of cricket is a huge success.

“I would also like to thank the various leadership groups across Australian cricket for coming together over the past 48 hours and taking quick, decisive action – made possible by thorough, cross-department contingency planning.

“CA will continue to monitor the situation in South Australia and the resulting border restrictions around the country.

“As ever, we will remain agile in addressing the challenges presented by the pandemic and remain more confident than ever of hosting a safe and successful summer across all formats.”