The fifth test of the Ashes in Perth’s Optus Stadium is now a doubt due to the ongoing border restrictions by the Western Australian government.
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The Ashes 2021 is set to start from 8 December 2021 at the Gabba in Brisbane. Two traditional rivals will take on each other to hold the ultimate Ashes urn. Australian side currently holds the urn, whereas the English side would want to grab it back.
Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth are currently chosen to host games. However, the final test of the series at Perth’s Optus Stadium is under dark clouds. The game will commence on 14 January 2022, but the border restrictions of Western Australia are still not relieved. The English team is not ready to serve hard restrictions as well.
Tasmania’s premier Peter Gutwein has already formally asked Cricket Australia to host the final test in Hobart.
The Ashes: Perth test is at “fifty-fifty” situation
Western Australia Cricket Association was assured that they will host the game, but now the situation looks bleak. Chief executive, Christina Matthews is now feared of losing the test to Tasmania.
“I’d probably say at the moment I’m 50-50,” Matthews told ABC Radio’s National Grandstand program.
“I’d gone as high as 97 percent, but I’ve gone back to 50-50. We’ll wait and see.”
The match can only take place if the Western Australian government eases the border restrictions. Even the large size of the broadcast team is also an issue to host the test in Perth. AFL final was played in Perth, but the crew there was much smaller in size than cricket.
“It’s a matter of whether cricket can meet those demands or not,” Matthews said.
“One of the difficulties for cricket is just the high level of technology that’s needed around the broadcast and the number of people that are needed around the broadcast compared to an AFL broadcast.
“It’s one thing getting the players in (but) it’s another thing getting the people who have to broadcast.”
According to news, the WA government will only open the borders in late January or early February. If that remains the case, Perth is set to lose the test game to Hobart.
