Coronavirus: Australia cricket series against England maybe extended amid Pakistan virus positives

UK officials refused to rule out asking Australia to play a hastily arranged Test series after COVID-19 ravaged the Pakistan team.

Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman is among 10 Pakistan players due to tour England in August to have tested positive for coronavirus. Picture: Arif Ali/AFP

COVID-induced chaos in England on Wednesday saw hopes rise Australia might be summoned for a stopgap Test series in the coming months, but the only thing certain at this stage is the uncertainty over how things will proceed.

In a week where there was talk of an AFL grand final and a Boxing Day Test in Perth, the idea of a hastily arranged mini Ashes was not the maddest notion.

Australia is due to play an ODI series in September in the UK and both boards were confident about its progress when they met last week.

Pakistan is due to play a three-Test series in July, but news that one third of its squad has tested positive to the virus on the eve of departure for the UK promoted uncertainty and prompted speculation.

When it was suggested to Nathan Lyon that they play Tests to fill any gaps created by the crisis he thought the English would be up for it.

“Just sounds like England want the Ashes back,” Lyon said.

“To be honest, there’s so many balls up in the air, I dare say the ICC and England and Australia and every other cricket nation are going to be looking at the best possible way to get cricket back playing again around the world.”

Cricket’s first green shoots of the northern summer didn’t last the day before being gripped by a frost of anxiety.

The West Indies, who are in quarantine in Manchester since arriving on June 8, emerged on Tuesday for an intra club practice match at Old Trafford ahead of a three-Test series due to begin on July 9.

The sight of the game being finally played gave some hope that a suspended summer could gain some form of normality but then came news from Pakistan that 10 of its 29-member squad have tested positive.

Pakistan is due to leave for England on Sunday.

On Monday, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, and Haris Rauf had tested positive. On Tuesday results came back positive for Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, and Imran Khan.

The PCB announced one member from the player support personnel also tested positive for the virus.

PCB CEO Wasim Khan said all 10 players are asymptomatic and was optimistic in the face of the news.

“The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on 28 June,” Wasim said.

“As regards the players, who have tested positive, we will continue to monitor and support them, including conducting antibody tests, and as soon as they test negative, they will be flown to join the squad in England. At the moment, they have been advised to go into self-isolation so that they not only recover quickly but also prevent their other family members from being infected.”

The situation became further clouded on Wednesday night when Hafeez reported he sought an independent test which was negative.

“I personally went to Test it again along with my family and all family members are reported negative. May Allah keep us all safe,” he tweeted.

The infected players face 14 days isolation but can fly out and join the squad in isolation in the UK if they are cleared at the end of that period.

The England summer has been on hold because of the outbreak and the ECB is yet to sort out its county season. The six Tests against the two visiting nations will all be played at either the Ageas Bowl or Old Trafford as both venues have hotels attached where the players can be isolated from the general public.

ECB director of cricket Ashley Giles said there was no back up plan but Cricinfo claimed Tests against Australia or Ireland may be considered.

“If the majority of the Pakistan squad are negative we would be hopeful they could be the advance party and carry on,” Giles said. “Perhaps other players would follow. We do not currently have a contingency plan. As has been the case throughout this situation, we have to be agile and adapt to these situations.’’

Pubs, restaurants and cinemas can open in the UK on July 4 along with select sports, but in making the announcement the UK prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions club cricket should return also.

“The problem with cricket as everybody understands, that the ball is a natural vector of disease, potentially, at any rate and we’ve been around it many times with our scientific friends,’’ he said.