Ashes: Players OK with increased restrictions as big MCG crowd expected

Australian and England players are under tighter Covid restrictions, but they won’t apply to a packed house at the MCG on Boxing Day.

The Australian Test team will head to the MCG 2-0 up in the Ashes. Picture: Jason O'Brien/PA Images via Getty Images

Cricket Australia remains adamant players from both Ashes camps are “working with us, not against us” amid tightened Covid protocols ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

And MCG officials are still expecting as many as 70,000 to turn up to day one of the clash between Australia and England, even with mask rules set to be imposed, and hold no fears the match could be a superspreader event.

Players and officials from both teams are working on level 4 biosecurity protocols, which limits movement in public places and interaction with the public too.

The arrangements will stay in place as Covid continues to run rampant in Melbourne and Sydney, where the fourth Test will be placed.

Australian captain Pat Cummins was forced to miss the second Test in Adelaide after being deemed a close contact of a Covid positive case while out in a restaurant last week.

Australian captain Pat Cummins leaves Adelaide Airport after a close contact Covid case. Picture 10 News First

There is a level 5 protocol, which would basically lock players and officials up in hotels outside of playing and training, but that is not being considered yet.

Despite the increased restrictions, beyond what the England players expected on arrival in Australia, CA’s Peter Roach said there had been no pushback from players.

“We think both teams and officials are reasonably comfortable with what we have put out there,” he said.

“We feel like everyone is on the journey with us. They are working with us, not against us, we are all in this together.”

The cloud of Covid uncertainty continues to hover over the series and MCG boss Stuart Fox conceded there was “always a risk” in running such a big event.

A Covid cluster emerged from an AFL game at the MCG earlier this year, but Fox said they managed that “quite well” and felt there was less of a risk now despite the new Omicron strain of the virus spreading rapidly.

“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a concern. There’s always a concern,” he said.

MCG boss Stuart Fox says Covid is ‘always a risk’ for a big event like the Boxing Day Test. Picture: David Crosling

“People will make their own judgments (about attending). The numbers show people will be willing to come, and if we get 70,000 that’s a pretty significant result in this environment.

“There’s always risk but we have a Covid-safe plan in place for a reason. That has served us relatively well.

“We had one reasonably significant issue this year at the football and we managed that quite well. We are confident we will get through our five days of the game.”