he Ashes will go ahead whether Joe Root is here or not: Tim Paine
The possibility of some of the top England players not touring Australia for the Ashes later this year isn't a matter of concern for Australia's Test skipper Tim Paine, who has insisted that the series will go on.
Joe Root, the England Test captain, and some of the other members of his team, have cited Australia's strict quarantine and travel protocols as reasons for their reluctance to commit to the tour. The two boards have been in dialogue over the finer details of the tour, decisions from which will soon have to be communicated to the England players.
"The Ashes are going ahead. The first Test is on December 8 - whether Joe is here or not," Tim Paine told SEN Radio. "It'll be worked out above us and then they'll have a choice whether to get on that plane or not. No one is forcing any England player to come. That's the beauty of the world we live in - you have a choice. If you don't want to come, don't come."
Australia currently have caps on the number of international arrivals while there is a mandatory 14-day quarantine even if the person is fully vaccinated. This could mean family members of the players may not be allowed to travel with the team, a major deterrent for many of England's players who are expected to go from the IPL bubble to the T20 WC bubble before the Ashes series.
"We have not heard one England player come out and say they will not be coming. I think it's been beat up. If you do want to come and represent your country and play in an Ashes series, which Joe Root said that's what they all want to do, that's what they dream about doing, then come and do it," said Paine.
"They all want to come, there's no doubt about that. They're trying to get themselves the best possible conditions they can. But we all are. We don't want to give them poor conditions because we're going to be in the same boat. It'll be worked out."
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen recently tweeted that "the players are now done with the bubbles" and he wouldn't travel "unless the ridiculous quarantine rules are crushed and my family can travel without any restrictions." The Australia captain didn't pay heed to Pietersen's suggestions, saying that he was not speaking on behalf of the players.
"If you want to know anything about any subject in the world, just ask Kevin Pietersen. He's an expert in everything. We haven't heard a single English player say he won't come. I think that has been beaten and people like Kevin like to make themselves known a bit in the media," Paine said.
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