Chappell ordered to leave Adelaide Oval

Test legend Ian Chappell has been ordered to leave the ground that has a grandstand named after him and could be forced into 14-days quarantine as the COVID crisis rocked Australian cricket.

Palm Beach resident Ian Chappell had to leave Adelaide Oval. Picture: Adam Yip

Test legend Ian Chappell has been ordered to leave the ground that has a grandstand named after him and could be forced into 14-days quarantine as the COVID crisis rocked Australian cricket.

In dramatic scenes at Adelaide Oval, Chappell was told by the South Australian Government midway through day two that he had to leave the venue and immediately isolate as a result of Sydney’s COVID outbreak.

Northern Beaches resident Chappell will undergo a COVID test in the morning, and on Friday night did not know if he’d be forced into mandatory quarantine.

“It’s disappointing but you have to do what you are told to do,” Chappell told News Corp.

“I will have a COVID test tomorrow morning and I’m not sure what will happen after that. We will have to wait and see.”

Chappell was part of the ABC commentary team in Adelaide but the organisation was unsure what protocols he would have to follow. The former Australian Test captain lives near Palm Beach but was allowed to call the first two sessions for ABC Grandstand.

However, circumstances changed as the SA Government changed its restrictions and toughened up on the cluster near Avalon.

Initially the SA Government were only worried about NSW residents who had visited the specific hot spot areas, but by day’s end they had updated their quarantine demands to include anyone from the Northern Beaches region.

It means Fox Cricket commentator Brett Lee dodged a massive bullet by flying home from the Adelaide Test earlier on Friday.

Had he waited Lee may have been forced into two weeks quarantine having just emerged from a similar hotel isolation period after returning from the IPL.

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 flew 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 with his family.

The Daily Telegraph