'So hard': Joe Root drops fresh bombshell on Ashes debacle

England captain Joe Root is the latest star to cast serious doubt over the Ashes in Australia after not committing to the tour due to uncertainty over coronavirus protocols.

Players and team management have yet to learn the exact conditions under which the five-Test series will take place, with those who have young families particularly concerned about the potentially stringent rules.

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The debate kicked-off again last week when Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hit back at UK PM Boris Johnson and said at this stage no special exemptions had been arranged.

Talks between the England and Wales Cricket Board and their counterparts at Cricket Australia are ongoing and it is hoped a specific set of plans could be in place ahead of a squad announcement next week.

However, it would be concerning for cricket fans to hear Root's latest comments.

Root, who has two young children, refused to say if he would be available to lead England's bid to regain the Ashes in a series scheduled to start in Brisbane on December 8.

"I feel it's so hard to make a definite decision until you know," Root said on Tuesday. "It's a little bit frustrating but it's where we are at.

"From a player's point of view we just want to know what the position is and then we can make decisions."

Joe Root desperate for Ashes redemption

The England captain has been in sensational form in 2021.

Root has scored 1,455 runs at an average of 66.13 in 12 Tests.

This prompted the Professional Cricketers' Association to award the 30-year-old, named the men's player of the year.

But, an elusive test century in Australia escapes 2021's best player.

"I'm very aware of that and it's something that I desperately want to put right," he said.

And with a chance to add to his tally in Australia, Root added: "I'm desperate to be part of an Ashes series. I always am. It's that one series as an England player that you want to be involved in and that will never change.

"The position I'm at in my career, it could be the last opportunity I get to go, so of course it's something you're desperate to do, desperate to hopefully make history over there and be part of something very special."

Although the fifth Test is scheduled to take place in Perth, it could be moved to another venue given the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Western Australia.

And the emergence of four new coronavirus cases in Queensland, the venue for the Ashes opener, led to the postponement of a first-class Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at just an hour's notice on Tuesday.

Such a move will do little to allay the concerns of England players who have doubts about touring.

Root said: "I think it's really important everyone makes a decision that they're comfortable with. There's so many different factors that fall into it and hopefully we're in a position where it's not an issue."

with AFP

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