The Ashes Has To Happen, They Get Very Well Paid - Greg Chappell On England Cricketers Mulling To Pull Out Of The Ashes If Families Not Allowed

Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has slammed the England cricket team for pondering to pull out of the Ashes if their families are not allowed to travel to Australia due to covid-19 restrictions.

Australia, who currently are the holders of the Urn, are scheduled to host Joe Root’s side for a high-voltage Ashes series in December-January. However, recently, according to a report in BBC, some English cricketers are mulling over pulling out of the tour if their families aren’t allowed to travel with them for the long tour.

Greg Chappell, who captained Australia in 48 Tests, countered the players by reminding them not only the rich history of the Ashes, but also the huge money they get paid to play cricket. He asserted that the players should feel fortunate to play while the world continues to suffer from the wrath of the pandemic.

“You can understand the sentiment but they need to understand the history of Ashes cricket. These guys are pretty fortunate to be playing in a cycle where they get very well paid for what they do and get a lot of perks the average person does not get,” Greg Chappell told The Australian. 

“Players will hopefully look outside their own bubble and appreciate not just the people who have gone before them but see the people who have lost business, homes and relationships. Many are doing it tough. If I don’t feel overly sympathetic to the players, please forgive me,” he said.

The Ashes has to happen: Greg Chappell

Michael Vaughan, an Ashes-winning skipper, had earlier stated that either the Australian government should relax its restrictions or maybe the Ashes should be postponed by a year if the players pull out.

Greg Chappell, however, staunchly opposed such views; he said the Ashes can lift people’s mood like the ongoing Olympics are doing.

“The Ashes has to happen. We have seen how watching the Olympics can lift people’s spirits at this tough time and the Ashes will do that as well.

“We toured England for six months without our families, without being well paid because we loved the game and had a feeling for what the Ashes meant. I remember I did not see my first son until he was four-and-half-months old,” the 72-year-old former batsman added.

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