England captain Joe Root is still unsure about his participation in this summer’s Ashes series as questions loom around how much time the team will have to spend in quarantine and how strict it will be.
Key points:
- Joe Root says he is “desperate” to play the Ashes, but there is too much certainty to guarantee anything
- WA Cricket’s request to allow for extended time for teams to quarantine after crossing state borders has been rejected
- The first Test is due to start in Brisbane on December 8
As it stands, the first Test is set to start in Brisbane on December 8 with the last of the five Tests to be held in Perth from January 14.
But with quarantine for international arrivals, as well as state border requirements, in place in Australia, the fate of the tour is still up in the air.
And England’s skipper has now joined the chorus of uncertainty.
“I feel it’s so hard to make a definite decision until you know,” Root said.
“That’s why it’s so important that we get all the information. I’m desperate to be part of an Ashes series, I always am. It’s that one series as an England player that you [most] want to be involved in and that will never change.
“I think it’s really important everyone makes a decision that they’re comfortable with. We just have to be patient, we just have to wait until we know what’s happening and then make a decision on the back of that.”
WA Cricket requested a reshuffle of the schedule to accommodate their strict interstate quarantine requirements, but Cricket Australia said they could not force the tourists to do two more weeks of quarantine in the middle of the tour.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali retired from Test cricket at 34, citing the difficulties surrounding the looming tour of Australia as part of his reasoning, while Ben Stokes may also miss as he addresses his own mental ill health.
Root said all the players would be “desperate to be on” the Ashes team, but acknowledged it was not as easy a choice as in years gone by.
“The position I’m at in my career, it could be the last opportunity I get to go. So of course it’s something you’re desperate to do, desperate to hopefully make history over there and be part of something very special,” the 30-year-old said.
Root is on track for the most prolific year of his career.
He has scored 1,455 runs at an average of 66.13 across 12 Tests this year, closing in on his career-best year of 1,477 in 2016.
Also within reach if he plays well in the first three Ashes Tests is Mohammad Yousuf’s all-time record of 1,788, although he reached that mark in just 11 games.
“I certainly feel I’m playing some of the best cricket I’ve played,” Root said.
“I feel like I’m playing quite nicely. I feel I’ve got good rhythm in the way that I’m moving and good confidence at the crease.
“More than anything you are desperate to keep it going, keep that hunger, keep that drive to make those big scores and contributions.”