Brett Lee forced to fly home as Covid strikes Sydney

Brett Lee has flown home from the Adelaide Test due to the COVID-19 virus which has sent a shudder through Australian cricket ranks.

Former Australian cricketer Brett Lee has flown home to be with his family in Sydney’s Covid-affected northern beaches cluster

Brett Lee has flown home from the Adelaide Test due to the COVID-19 virus which has sent a shudder through Australian cricket ranks.

Broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel 7 have had to stand down several members of their staff – including senior production figures, in response to Sydney’s Northern Beaches cluster.

Fox commentator Lee is a resident of the Northern Beaches and is on a flight back home to Sydney to be with family.

Lee has no symptoms and has not been to any of the notified hot spots, but he has spent an enormous amount of time in quarantine due to the IPL and does not want to risk spending Christmas without his family.

It’s understood SEN Radio has made the decision to send commentators Brad Haddin, Gavin Robertson and Matt White back to Sydney to call the action from a studio.

Several staff members from both networks have been stood down pending COVID tests, including Channel 7’s director who is just about the most important part of their coverage.

Cameramen and photographers are among those sent for tests, in a chaotic opening to day two.

Cricket Australia made their first response to the outbreak when they sent an urgent memo for any media covering the game who had been in the Northern Beaches over the past three weeks to contact CA as soon as possible.

Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley said it was the right thing to do to send Lee home.

“We had a good talk last night. He went back this morning. Of course everyone is being responsible and he totally understood that,” said Crawley.

“We have had to send out a number of staff to get them tested. Brett is in the air now, he’s gone back this morning.

“It was just the right thing to do and he was very comfortable doing that.”

Fox have had to stand down several senior production staff including directors and the producer who directs Mike Hussey’s lab.

Channel 7 are also without a director and other key staff – and the networks have pledged to share resources if required.

There are also concerns about the back half of the Test summer and the Big Bash League schedule, although it’s a wait-and-see situation and no changes to the current plans would even be considered until the situation plays out further over the coming days.

Grade cricket has already been cancelled this weekend in Sydney as cricket braces for the prospect of more cases.

The Daily Telegraph