Australia batter Travis Head has been ruled out of the 4th Ashes Test as he was tested positive for Covid-19 on a routine PCR Test.
He is the first player from either squad to be tested positive. However, 7 members from the England camp (Staff and family members) were tested Covid-19 positive last week.
“As part of our testing procedures, we are PCR testing players, their families and our support staff daily,” said a Cricket Australia spokesperson in an official press release.
“Unfortunately, Travis returned a positive Covid-19 result earlier today. Thankfully, he is asymptomatic at this stage. We anticipate that he will be available to play in the fifth Vodafone men’s Ashes Test in Hobart.” he added further.
Mitchell Marsh, Nic Maddinson, and Josh Inglis have been added to the squad for Sydney Test however Usman Khawaja is the frontrunner to replace Head in the playing XI.
Head was the leading run-scorer from Australia in the series with 248 runs with an average of 62. In the first test at Brisbane, he played a terrific knock of 152(148) for which he was chosen ‘Player of the Match’.
Earlier in the week, England coach Chris Silverwood also isolated himself after he was identified as a close contact of the Covid-19 case.
Australia had already retained the Ashes as the hosts took an unassailable lead of 3-0 after comprehensive innings win at Melbourne. The prospect of 5-0 whitewash has been looming large on the visitors as they failed to compete in any of the 3 matches so far. England has been chasing their first test win since January 2011.
There are only 3 occasions in the history of the Ashes when Australia whitewashed England by 5-0- in 1920-21 under the captaincy of Warwick Armstrong, in 2006-07 under Ricky Ponting, and in 2013-14 under Michael Clarke.
Australia squad for 4th Test: Pat Cummins (C), Steve Smith (VC), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (WK), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
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