Ashes 2021-22: Scott Boland and Mark Steketee added to Australian Ashes squad as injury covers

Ashes 2021-22: Scott Boland and Mark Steketee have joined the Australian squad in Adelaide as pace bowling covers.

Ahead of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, Australia are missing two of their key pacers in Adelaide. Hazlewood traveled to his home in Sydney after the Brisbane test and missed out in Adelaide. Josh Hazlewood is having a side strain, and he will now rehab to get fit for the Boxing-Day test.

Pat Cummins came in close contact with a Covid-19 patient on Wednesday. Cummins has a negative result, and he will now need to do isolation for seven days. SA Health department has confirmed that Cummins is in close contact. Cummins has immediately started his isolation after the news. The isolation of Pat Cummins will be over on 22 December, whereas the team will travel out of Adelaide on 20th December.

Nick Hockley, CA Chief Executive has given some updates on the Pat Cummins incident.

“I think we’ve just been extremely unlucky. For Pat it’s just a case of wrong place, wrong time,” Hockley said.

“Thankfully we’ve got great leaders to step up and step in, and hopefully there’s a seven-day period and we (Australia team) are back to full strength come Boxing Day.”

Ashes 2021-22: Mark Steketee and Scott Boland joins Australian squad

The pace duo of Mark Steketee and Scott Boland has joined the Australian squad at Adelaide. Both of them will stay as covers and will help in training the team. They were a part of the Australia-A squad which faced England Lions last week. Scott Boland has scalped 15 wickets in just two of Sheffield Shield 2021-22, whereas Steketee has scalped 21 wickets in four games.

Scott Boland taking wickets for fun over the last couple of weeks…

15 of them at an average of just 10.8 😮 #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/zdvjYQXGeD

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 8, 2021

The current 14-men squad of Australia is just for the initial two games, and the new team will be announced after the Adelaide Test. However, the Aussie team is hopeful that both Pat Cummins and Hazlewood will be fit for the game. Cummins will join the squad on 22 December, whereas Hazlewood will have a late fitness test. Usman Khawaja has not featured in the eleven, but the injury concern of David Warner can allow him to retain his place.

Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the iconic Boxing Day Ashes test from 26 December 2021. It is being said that over 80,000 people will attend the first day of the test.