Hobart: Australia Test captain Tim Paine has pointed out that England have nothing different to do than what the country is asking for. He also said that quarantine protocols in Australia are the norm and beyond the control of anyone. The Ashes tour will begin on December 8 with the first Test to be played at the Gabba in Brisbane.
"They know that they're going to have to do some quarantine, potentially, ScoMo (Scott Morrison, Australia's PM) and Boris (Johnson, England PM) are having conversations, the conversations are being had at the very top. It's above Cricket Australia, it's above the ECB, it's certainly above the players. Those decisions will be made and you're just going to have to deal with it. But, the England team will have to do nothing different than what they're asking the Australian team to do," Paine said on SEN Radio.
The 36-year-old Paine, who is yet to play a Test match at his home ground in Hobart, has been unhappy with Cricket Australia not awarding an Ashes Test to the Blundstone Arena, especially with the one-off Test match against Afghanistan in serious doubt due to Taliban not allowing women to play sports.
"The easy way through this is to throw one of these matches down to Blundstone Arena, and then we'll go to Perth. It wasn't popular with the Sydney media, I must admit. I copped a little bit of flak."
Paine believes that Cricket Australia will pursue hosting the matches at other venues before awarding a Test to Hobart. "I don't think there will be, I really don't. After it was raised, they didn't like it. I tell you what will happen, they'll bypass Tassie (Tasmania), like they always do. We'll play two Tests in Sydney, or two Tests in Perth. That's what they'll do."
"I don't agree with it. I absolutely do not agree with it. But I can see it a mile away. Been here too many times. How many Test matches has Tassie got in the last 10 years? It's easier for the broadcasters to either have two games in Sydney or two games in Perth," signed off Paine.
