Michael Vaughan wants the Ashes called off if England players can’t travel with families
Michael Vaughan became the latest former cricketer to come out in support of England players after it came to light that they may have to travel down under without their families.
The former England skipper took to Twitter to express his views, suggesting the Ashes should be called off if England players don’t have their family with them in Australia.
A report in the Daily Mail has revealed how the multi-format England players may have to stay away from their families for up to four months. The period could see England players stay away from their loved ones from September, when the T20 World Cup starts, until mid-January when the Ashes comes to an end.
With Australia adopting a hard border stance, the government has closed borders for overseas travelers to limit the spread of COVID-19, thus throwing England's travel plans in limbo.
The predicament has caused players like Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen to come out in support of England players, suggesting it would be understandable if any of them opted out of the Ashes due to travel constraints.
Cricket Australia working on a solution for England players
While the situation has created a furore over the past few days, a Cricket Australia spokeswoman spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald on the issue. She reiterated that the body is lobbying with the government and expects a resolution on the same soon.
“It’s only June and England are not due to arrive until November. We’ll be going through the same process we did with India last summer,” the spokeswoman said.
The Indian contingent were allowed to travel with their families when the team came to Australia for an all-format tour earlier this year. With the Ashes a few months away, it is likely Cricket Australia will be able to negotiate a similar deal with the government when the England team arrives down under.