Why Cummins saga is 'sport's worst nightmare'

2 years ago 343

Former Australian skipper Mark Taylor says the COVID-19 concern that has thrown the 2nd Ashes Test into chaos is "sport's worst nightmare".

Pat Cummins was ruled retired of the lucifer after being identified arsenic a adjacent contact of a affirmative lawsuit who was seated adjacent astatine an Adelaide edifice past night.

The 28-year-old, who is 1 Test into his tenure arsenic Australian captain, is present isolating for 7 days.

Cummins was not doing thing incorrect by having meal astatine the restaurant, and isolated arsenic soon arsenic helium became alert of the situation. He has since returned a antagonistic PCR trial and is expected to beryllium disposable for the Boxing Day Test successful Melbourne.

"It's not conscionable Cricket Australia's worst nightmare, it's sport's worst nightmare," Taylor told Wide World of Sports.

"The evident absorption from immoderate radical volition beryllium to suggest the players should beryllium successful a bubble, but they can't support doing that forever. It's not bully for them and it's not bully for the sport."

Fellow bowlers Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc were besides astatine the restaurant, but astatine a abstracted array to Cummins. They were deemed casual contacts and allowed to play.

"The greater contented present is what does this pb to? How volition it beryllium handled?" Taylor said.

"It's not conscionable astir whether Pat Cummins is disposable arsenic the skipper and opening bowler. This could hap to anybody, anytime and anywhere.

"Somehow the authorities person got to get this right, different it could hap astatine immoderate signifier of the series.

"I deliberation bubbles are not bully for anyone, and England said earlier they came present that they didn't privation to beryllium locked up.

"They volition beryllium precise reluctant to spell backmost to a bubble situation."

The lack of Cummins means Steve Smith captains Australia for the archetypal clip since the infamous Cape Town Test of 2018, portion Queensland accelerated bowler Michael Neser makes his Test debut.

Despite the mode successful which Smith mislaid the captaincy astir 4 years ago, Taylor said helium has nary contented with the 32-year-old's reappointment.

"From my constituent of view, arsenic vice-captain helium takes implicit the reigns. What was done 4 years agone was done," helium explained.

"The selectors nominated him to beryllium vice-captain, it was ratified by the board, helium should skipper Australia erstwhile Pat Cummins is unavailable."

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