Brendon Julian has called on Cricket Australia on move the fifth Ashes Test to Melbourne or Adelaide if Perth isn’t willing to open their borders until late January at the earliest.
Debate has continued to rage this week about whether Perth deserves to host the Test amid their strict COVID border controls.
While it appears that sufficient exceptions will be granted to allow the Optus Stadium Test to take place in January, Julian said Cricket Australia should be looking at other options.
“I wouldn’t be going to Perth,” he said on Sportsday.
“I reckon they should go back to the MCG and make it a day-night Test or a day Test in Adelaide…I would be locking it in now and not going to Perth.
“If they can’t guarantee that they’re opening up until February, that’s fine and your call but we don’t need to play the Test match there.”
Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said the news that the Western Australian Government were willing to provide an exemption for the Test match to take place remained a divisive topic with locals.
“It’s been a mixed reaction,” he said.
“The news coming out of the WACA, Cricket Australia and the Western Australian Government suggests that concessions are going to be granted to allow (the Ashes Test) to happen.”
The Ashes will begin in early December in Brisbane, before the series concludes in Perth in the middle of January.