‘I was really angry, but I don't know who at’ – Pat Cummins after missing the Adelaide Test due to COVID-19 protocols
Cummins has returned to Australia's playing XI for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Australia Test skipper Pat Cummins said that he was gutted after he couldn’t take part in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval due to hassles surrounding COVID-19. The speedster was ruled out of the Day Night Test on the morning of the encounter after being identified as a close contact to the coronavirus positive patient.
Even as Steve Smith led the Aussies in Cummins’ absence, all-rounder Michael Neser got to make his debut in the purest format. Cummins narrated the entire incident and talked about how frustrated he was. On the eve of the pink-ball Test, the pacer had gone to a restaurant with a fellow cricketer where a person sitting next to Cummins was tested positive for COVID-19.
No-one did anything wrong, says Pat Cummins
“I (was) really angry – but I don’t know who at. There was no-one to blame. Once it became apparent, the state rules, you have to follow them. We knew it might pop at some stage in this series. I didn’t think – or hope – it was going to be me,” Cummins was quoted as saying on perthnews.com.au.
Cummins went out of the restaurant as soon as he got to know that he was in close contact of the COVID-19 infected patient. He also felt that a negative RT-PCR test would put an end to the matter, but he had to go into isolation as per South Australia’s coronavirus protocols.
“You abide by the protocols, but there (was) hardly any COVID around, so I didn’t factor it in at all until the bloke popped up next to me and said he’s positive,” he stated.
“No-one did anything wrong. The poor guy just flew to Adelaide to try and enjoy a couple of days of cricket – I felt really bad for him as well,” Cummins added.
Cummins, in the meantime, has been named in Australia’s playing eleven for the third Ashes Test, starting Sunday, December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Scott Boland is also set to make his debut after making his white-ball debut for Australia back in 2016. Jhye Richardson and Neser couldn’t hold on to their spots in the eleven.
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