Adelaide coronavirus cluster throws summer of cricket into chaos

Tim Paine among those forced into isolation, with the first Test against India under a cloud following the Adelaide outbreak.

Tim Paine, left, has been forced to isolate following the emergence of the Adelaide COVID-19 cluster. Picture: Getty Images

Uncertainty has returned and plans for the summer thrown into doubt following a new outbreak of COVID in Adelaide where the first Test against India in December is scheduled.

As borders began to close on South Australia, cricketers recently returned from a Sheffield Shield bubble in that state were ordered into isolation and are waiting word from their state governments about the next move.

Cricket Australia and the states convened an emergency meeting on Monday night to consider the ramifications for the Adelaide Test, the Big Bash League and the white ball series against India.

Mitchell Starc enters Australia’s quarantine bubble. Picture: Toby Zerna

There is a possibility the limited overs and A squad, which were due to fly to Sydney on Sunday, will be told to move earlier and the administration was attempting to understand what it meant for players from Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania who had just returned from the Sheffield Shield in Adelaide.

The Adelaide Strikers BBL side could fly to Sydney on Tuesday and national team squad members like Cameron Green could have to leave Perth with similar haste.

The Australian white ball squad was due to gather in Sydney this weekend ahead of the first ODI at the SCG on Friday 27.

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Cricket Australia in a statement on Monday night said it was working on contingencies to manage the fallout from the South Australian outbreak.

“Our biosecurity and operational teams are closely monitoring the situation and working to put in place the necessary plans to ensure players, coaches and staff are available for upcoming fixtures.

“CA has always maintained that it would need to be agile as border conditions change and we thank the players, coaches and staff involved for their flexibility and all parties for their support.

“We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves and look forward to hosting a safe and successful summer across all formats.”

The South Australian government announced Monday that all community sport has been cancelled and the next 24 hours would be crucial.

Australian captain Tim Paine was one of the state players who received a message on his phone telling him to self isolate immediately and was part of an emergency testing regime instigated by Cricket Tasmania on Monday morning.

The captain and teammate Matthew Wade were told via text message to limit movement and wear a mask until they received further directions.

State police contacted WA players on Sunday and even visited some to check they were isolating.

WA, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed borders to travellers from South Australia. Queensland announced travellers from SA who arrived after 11.59am Monday would have to quarantine for 14 days.

The Big Bash League may be most affected by the outbreak and the decision by the Tasmanian government to close its borders.

All eight teams, including the Adelaide Strikers, are due to play in Hobart in the first week of the competition before it moved on to Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein announced that travellers from South Australia will have to enter mandatory hotel quarantine if they do not have accommodation.

WA players had delayed their return to Perth until the weekend when quarantine restrictions were lifted.

All WA players who took part in the recent Sheffield Shield rounds in Adelaide, including star allrounder Green, must now self-isolate for 14 days.

“Following the state‘s border closure to South Australia, WA players and staff who arrived from Adelaide on Saturday afternoon are currently undergoing 14 days of self-quarantine,” the WACA said in a statement.

“Their arrival fell under the ‘Controlled Border for Western Australia’ directions which came into effect at 12:01am on Saturday 14 November.

“South Australia outbreak response directions were issued on Sunday and the squad were given directive to begin self-quarantine in line with this.

“All players are undergoing COVID-19 testing.

“The WACA is working closely with the relevant authorities to determine the best means of approach for player management over the two weeks.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said she won’t close the border to SA, while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has identified Adelaide as a hot spot, but won’t close the border at this point.

Cricket Australia says it’s too early to say whether the cluster would have any impact on the first Test starting in a month’s time.

However, questions will have to be asked about what impact it might have on the occasion of a day-night Test in Adelaide and whether the current crowd capacity of 27,000 might have to be slashed.

It would be a huge blow for the first Test to be played in front of empty stands.

It’s Adelaide’s first instance of community transmissions since April, and the state has been a banker for the AFL and cricket during the pandemic – just recently hosting the Sheffield Shield competition with great success.

However, the outbreak which has grown in number to 17 has at least cast doubt over CA’s next moves.

CA would have no shortage of alternate venues to play the first Test, starting with Sydney, where the Australian team would be based anyway for the limited overs series starting on November 27 and running until December 8.

Adelaide was originally viewed as the perfect place for India to fly in and begin the summer but those plans were derailed by the state government. Cricket Australia then hoped to do the same in Brisbane but rejection by the Queensland government saw it settle on Sydney.

The hotel at the Adelaide Oval which was used when the limited overs side returned from the UK was later deemed to be inappropriate for quarantine.