A fresh Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney sent Cricket Australia on high alert. The Sydney outbreak – the number of cases in the northern beaches outbreak in Sydney reached 28 on Friday – had an impact on the broadcasters with former Australian pacer Brett Lee deciding to return home in northern Sydney.
Disturbing news came out on the second day of the first Test match being played between India and Australia in Adelaide on Friday. On Friday, 28 Corona cases were reported in Sydney, after which former fast bowler and Fox Cricket Commentator Brett Lee decided to leave the match commentary and return home. He comes from Northern Sydney and wants to be with his family at such times.
Lee has not developed any symptoms yet and has flown back as a precautionary measure. Two Sydney-based members of the broadcaster also returned home, while two more decided to work from the hotel.
Three members of the SEN commentary team, which is covering the first Test, have left Adelaide.
Cricket Australia, however, asserted that the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, which is slated to take place in Sydney is not threatened even though the situation is being closely monitored.
“There’s been lots of discussion and meetings of our medical experts, but this is the reason why throughout the summer we’ve had our players in bubbles in the hub,” CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley told SEN Radio.
“We’re monitoring the situation; we’re not panicking at all, staying calm… … it’s really watch, wait and see and I think the governments around the country have handled the pandemic so well, so we’ll watch, learn and stay in touch.”
On whether the SCG Test was in doubt, Hockley said:
“I don’t think so – this is the very reason why we have the hubs in place…
“… whether it’s the WBBL players, the BBL players, the BCCI, our own Australia squads, they have been absolutely fantastic in dealing with all the protocols.
“Our medical experts have been working around the clock, we’re in very good communication with health authorities around the country. It’s one of the things we’ve had to navigate with getting cricket up safely.”
