There was drama aplenty to start Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test, with the England Cricket Board (ECB) revealing little over an hour before play was due to start that the team was yet to leave their hotel and were awaiting COVID test results.
Players were eventually given the all clear, however it’s now understood two support staff and two of their family members have tested positive on Rapid Antigen Tests.
The tourists subsequently arrived at the ground around 10am local time, with play delayed just half an hour to begin at 11am.
The Boxing Day Test seemingly dodged a bullet due to the quick turnaround of the RATs, and Gerard Whateley asked Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley why that type of test was allowed in this circumstance.
“It’s the best information we can get in a very short time frame, and it’s absolutely precautionary,” Hockley replied on SEN Test Cricket.
“As we’ve had all the way through this, it’s all about getting the best information, and that’s what our medical team recommended, so a big thank you to the playing group.
“What we are doing is obviously keeping a real track of the movements of everybody, and it’s all about keeping everybody safe primarily, but also making sure we can continue with the series.”
Adding another level of intrigue to the choice is the fact Channel 7 staff required a PCR test after a team member tested positive on Sunday night.
Seven has been forced to use an entirely new commentary team, with Sunday’s commentators currently in isolation and awaiting results of their tests.
Hockley refused to confirm what would happen in the event a player tested positive or if a day’s play was lost while awaiting test results, describing that talk as “hypothetical”.
England has made a strong start to Day 3, taking three wickets including that of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith shortly before lunch.
Listen to the exclusive full chat with Nick Hockley below