COVID scare rocks England's Ashes bid

Play astatine the MCG for Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test is acceptable to commence aft a half-an-hour hold to accommodate for aboriginal play retired of the England campy surrounding a COVID-19 scare.

After a hold successful leaving their squad hotel, it was announced that England would depart and get astatine the MCG astir 10am, allowing for a shortened warmup earlier starting astatine 11am.

The concerning quality came to airy erstwhile England Cricket released a connection this greeting confirming that a travelling household subordinate had returned a affirmative trial for COVID-19.

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Jos Buttler, right, and Zak Crawley get astatine the MCG aft aboriginal COVID drama. (AP)

As a result, the full playing radical and each different enactment unit were incapable to permission their edifice until undertaking accelerated antigen tests and being cleared of the virus.

Cricket Australia has since been informed that 2 members of the England Cricket Team's enactment unit and 2 of their household members person returned a affirmative COVID-19 accelerated antigen test.

The affected individuals are present isolating.

The lone England subordinate to enactment successful accustomed preparations was skipper Joe Root, who arrived astatine the crushed earlier this morning.

After being held successful the changerooms for a play of time, Root was capable to instrumentality to the tract and implicit a warmup.

"The England squad and absorption are presently astatine the squad edifice awaiting results of RFT COVID tests pursuing a affirmative trial successful the team's household group," England Cricket said successful a statement.

"We volition supply much accusation successful owed course."

Family members of some the Australia and England players person been asked not to be the MCG and walk the time astatine their squad hotels.

It is understood that officials volition conscionable erstwhile play starts to sermon imaginable measures and restrictions to let the remainder of the Ashes bid to beryllium completed undisrupted.

The England Cricket squad volition besides person PCR tests aboriginal today.

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