England players mull Ashes pullout if families not allowed to travel - Reports

The Ashes has managed to be in the limelight even without a ball being bowled. The high-octane series is still five months away, but already there are growing concerns among the England players, with the Australian government imposing a strict travel restriction on its travellers entering the country. If certain reports are to be believed, few England players are mulling over the idea of skipping the Ashes series which is set to begin on December 8, if their families are not allowed to travel with them.

Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in recent times in Australia and also due to poor vaccination drives in few bigger cities, the government has resorted to putting stringent norms in place. With the Ashes set to be held in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane, the England players might face some new restrictions as each of the cities has its unique restrictions and norms.

 If a report in the BBC is to be believed, then the England players are most likely to discuss with the board on the Ashes this week. As per the original plan, England players will leave the country on September 18. They will play the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup and then travel to Australia for the Ashes series. With the final Test match set to conclude on January 18 in Perth, the players could be without their families for long periods of time.

Cricket Australia (CA) is working on the possible option of working on a solution to the problem. The CA, ECB as well as the government of Australia will soon come up with the official update on the matter in August.

"It's only June and England are not due to arrive until November,” a CA spokeswoman told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We'll be going through the same process we did with India last summer."