Ashes 2021/22: No Special Deals For England Players, States Australia PM Scott Morrison

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there won’t be any kind of special arrangement for the England team that will tour the country in December for the Ashes.

The historic Ashes series has been under an ambivalent situation as England players remain sceptical and they also sought more clarity from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding the travel restrictions in Australia.

I would love to see the Ashes go ahead: Scott Morisson

Many players were concerned about travelling with their families as Australia demands the strictest lockdown rules.

Morrison made it clear that there won’t be any special treatment for the English players.

“I would love to see the Ashes go ahead, as I shared with Boris (Johnson) last night. But there’s no special deals there,” Morrison was quoted as saying by The West Australian. 

“I don’t see a great deal of difference in skilled workers or students, who will be able to come to Australia when you reach the vaccination rates,” he added. 

Boris Johnson’s conversation with Scott Morrison

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, had shared a different narrative on his talks with Morrison.

“I raised it and he said he was going to do his best for the families,” Johnson told reporters.

“He totally got the point that for cricketers it is very tough to ask people to be away from their families over Christmas. He merely undertook to come back and see if he could find a solution.”

England players had conducted a meeting with ECB where they requested the board to alter the series by either pushing it to next year or playing it in two parts.

The board seemed reluctant to accept the players’ proposal and said that England cricketers will have the option to opt-out of the Ashes without any subject to consequences.

The first Ashes Test between Australia and England will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane starting on December 8.

Also Read: England Players To Make Final Decision On Availability In Ashes By End Of September