Joe Root confirms England commitment to play Ashes - Reports

After a lot of deliberation and several discussions, the England Cricket Board (ECB) have reportedly committed to travel Down Under for the Ashes series, which is set to commence on December 8. The high-octane Ashes series was under some serious jeopardy due to the Australian government’s strict COVID-19 norms. With a three-month-long tour and strict bio-bubble norms and protocols, the English players were contemplating not to travel Down Under. It seems the problem is resolved for time being with Root reportedly confirming the participation with a full-strength squad, albeit some players raising concerns about touring Australia in a COVID-19 bubble.

CA and ECB were continuously in touch over the upcoming Ashes series. Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had promised his counterpart Boris Johnson that he will find a solution to tackle the matter. Earlier, CA had sent a proposal to ECB explaining the terms of the tour. It is reported that the rules were not as stringent as expected which prompted the players to give their nod for the series.

Aaron Finch Australia’s limited-overs captain confirmed that England players have agreed to tour Australia.

“They’ve played a lot of Test cricket so, I can understand where they’re coming from,” Finch told reporters in a video call.
“Guys are on the road for a lot longer than what tours used to go (for) when you’re adding on quarantine at the start and potentially at the end. That is difficult but, it’s great to see Joe’s (Root) supported that, and they’re going to come down.”