Cricket in crisis as Covid threatens major summer disruption

With Queensland having six new Covid cases, the Tasmanian team were seen leaving Ian Healy Oval on a bus at 9.30am.

Urgent discussions were taking place in a bid to allow them to return to Tasmania on Tuesday afternoon to avoid any chance of being caught in a Queensland lockdown.

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Initially the game was postponed for 24 hours but it has since been called off and will be rescheduled.

Players refused to comment as they left the ground.

Neither team was unsure what the future held for them and when their next game would be played.

Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania both released statements confirming the move.

“Cricket Australia advises that the Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and Tasmania at Ian Healy Oval, due to begin today, has been postponed,” Cricket Australia said.

“The match will be rescheduled to a new date later in the season, following the Tasmanian team’s decision to fly home today.”

“Further updates regarding the scheduled Marsh One-Day Cup match between the two sides, due to be played this Sunday, October 3, will be provided in due course.”

Cricket Tasmania said: “We have made the decision to return their Tasmanian Tigers Marsh Sheffield Shield and One-Day squads to Tasmania today. This is not a decision that was taken lightly.

“While the situation in Queensland hasn’t prevent the match from commencing today, a cautious and considered approach is being taken and it is our strong opinion that we are better having our players and staff home as we build a better understanding of the current landscape.”

The entire competition on which Australia will rely on heavily to prepare players for this seasons Ashes is in a state of flux with hardly any games scheduled.

The NSW and Victorian teams have been trapped in their home states because of lockdown restrictions.

Healy Oval is an unfenced arena so the difficulty of keeping out roaming observers was a major concern.

Australia is set to play India in a one-off women’s Test at Gold Coast’s Metricon Stadium on Thursday from 2pm.

A spokesperson said as yet there was no direct threat to the game but that could change with any further Covid setbacks.

There is a chance that crowds could be restricted or banned from that game.

Heat unveil Lynn’s BBL replacement

The Brisbane Heat have appointed Jimmy Peirson their new captain following Chris Lynn’s decision to stand down.

Peirson, 28, made a strong impression last season standing in when Lynn was injured, winning three of five games and losing the other two games by one and two runs.

Peirson’s batting form has also improved sharply since he paid $5000 for a bowling machine which he uses for private practice.

The announcement reunites new Heat coach Wade Seccombe and Peirson as a leadership team after the pair first did so in the Queensland Under-19 squad in 2011.

“When Chris informed us that he would be stepping down, we knew there was a good opportunity to review and renew the leadership roles,’’ Seccombe said.

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“When it came time to formalise our thinking during the off-season, Darren (Lehmann) and I, the Heat committee and the rest of the staff were on the same page around making Jimmy captain for the BBL this summer.

“It’s a big job and so we wanted him to have plenty of time to consider the role and what sort of things he expected from the club and the coaching staff if he was to take on the role.

Originally published as Concern grows over one-off Australia v India women’s Test match in wake of Brisbane Covid cases