NSW and Tasmania keen to take India series from Queensland

Tasmania and NSW are putting together plans to host Australia’s white-ball series against India as Queensland rules itself out.

India captain Virat Kohli’s side is facing an uncertain schedule in Australia

The great cricket coup is moving fast with two states keen to steal the white-ball series against India from an intransigent Queensland.

Cricket Australia has hit a roadblock with the Queensland government over Indian players being allowed to train while in quarantine and the three ODIs and three T20 matches are almost certain to be played elsewhere.

Sydney has put together an offer of a hotel to quarantine ­Indian and Australian players.

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The Indians and Australians can isolate at Olympic Park in the same hotel being used now for WBBL players. Training facilities are available at the venue, which also houses Cricket NSW.

There are indoor and outdoor nets on site and two international-standard cricket grounds.

Accor Hotels, which has four hotels at the site where the 2000 Olympics were held, is understood to be involved.

The cricketers would be subject to 14 days quarantine but could train at assigned venues before playing the white-ball games. The sticking point with the Queensland government was, as reported in The Australian on Monday, allowing Indian players to move from a hotel to train at Allan Border Field while in quarantine.

Plans are now well advanced to play the one-day games at the SCG. BBL games scheduled for Manuka Oval will be shifted to Brisbane so the T20 matches can be played in Canberra.

NSW Sports Minister Geoff Lee said on Tuesday the state would welcome the opportunity to host the start of the summer of cricket. “NSW is the sporting capital of Australia and we would welcome the opportunity to host India’s touring party, subject to NSW Health being satisfied that Cricket Australia’s proposal ensures the health and safety of players, officials, staff and the NSW community, which remains the highest priority for the NSW government,” he said.

Fox Cricket, which has the rights to the white-ball games, was facing a huge bill to quarantine its broadcast staff in Queensland and will make significant savings if the matches are shifted.

Tasmania Cricket chief executive Dominic Baker told The Australian on Tuesday his state was equally keen and was putting ­together a plan for the parties to quarantine and play in Hobart. “We’d be very keen to help Cricket Australia and cricket,” he said.

South Australia is also understood to be involved in talks about the series.

The level of anger with Queensland has not passed unnoticed and both Canberra and Hobart would think themselves an outside chance of snaring an Ashes Test next year.

Cricket Australia waited for weeks in the belief Queensland authorities would sign off on a plan to fly Indian and Australian players into Brisbane. Press conferences were planned and press releases drafted, but the signature never came.

On Sunday, The Australian reported online that the Queensland government had a number of problems with the quarantine proposals and CA was informed in person on Monday.

On the eve of an election, Queensland is as reluctant as NSW is eager. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian needs distraction and Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to guard against a possible quarantine disaster such as the one that happened in Melbourne hotels or with the Ruby Princess in Sydney.

Queensland doesn’t seem to care if cricket leaves town and CA is in no mood to stay.

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles confirmed on Tuesday the Queensland government had issues with allowing India to train while in quarantine.

“I love cricket as much as the next person, but this is very, very different to the arrangements that have been put in place for other elite sports,” Mr Miles said.

“They are travelling from other countries that have higher rates of COVID-19. They’ve not been within a bubble as they’ve come to be known like the NRL and AFL have been.

“They’re not travelling between places like Sydney and Adelaide and Brisbane. They’re travelling between places like the United Arab Emirates, India and Brisbane. So different arrangements are going to have to be ­considered.

“The primary decision to allow them to arrive into Australia rests with the commonwealth. They administer the international borders. They administer who can and can’t return. And in what order they can return.

“So the decision as to whether to allow this travel rests with Scott Morrison and his government.”