‘It would be a farcical series’ – Michael Vaughan wants Ashes 2021-22 to be postponed if prominent England players pull out

A lot in the world has changed ever since the COVID-19 virus came into the picture, and cricket is no exception. Owing to safety concerns, players have been asked to follow several strict rules and norms. This also includes serving isolation alone in hotel rooms for days. Owing to this, many series and tournaments have been dented with players withdrawing their names to avoid the hard grind.

The upcoming Ashes 2020-21 is also under the threat of getting affected by the absence of prominent players. The high-voltage Test series will get underway in Australia in December. However, many England players might pull out of the important event due to stringent travel regulations. For the unversed, the Aussie government has enforced tight limits on the numbers permitted to enter the country.

This means the participating England players won’t be able to travel with family. With the series taking place in December-January, members of the England contingent will have to observe Christmas and New Year without their loved ones.  Owing to the same, it is expected that several English cricketers might make themselves available for the Ashes.

The Ashes must be the best against the best: Michael Vaughan

Speaking on the issue, former England captain Michael Vaughan urged Australian authorities to relax the regulations or else delay the upcoming Ashes series by a year. Vaughan said the prospect of Australia facing an under-strength England team would be ‘farcical.’ Hence, both the national boards should come up with a potent solution.

“If this situation is not sorted out quickly and the England players allowed to be joined in Australia by their families then the Ashes have to be delayed by a year. If not, it would be a farcical series against an understrength England team. The Ashes must be the best against the best,” Vaughan wrote in his column for Daily Telegraph.

Although Vaughan wants England’s best team in the Ashes, he won’t any complaints about the players pulling out of the event. “I have absolute sympathy with any player thinking of not going, and I would back them all the way if they pulled out because they cannot be with their families at Christmas and New Year. We need the Ashes. But we need the series to be fair and competitive,” asserted Vaughan.

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