Chris Woakes has dismissed Ian Botham’s suggestion that England’s Test players had used Covid restrictions as an excuse to avoid committing to the forthcoming Ashes series, insisting that, “if we were living in a normal world, we would be chomping at the bit”.
The England and Wales Cricket Board granted approval for the tour last Friday subject to certain conditions being met after lengthy negotiations over how Australia’s Covid restrictions would affect players and their families, a situation that prompted Botham to say last week that he was “starting to wonder if these guys don’t fancy the ultimate test” and that “if I were in their boots I’d already have my bags packed”.
But Woakes, a member of England’s squad for the imminent Twenty20 World Cup who was also named on Sunday in the Ashes touring party, said the former cricketer turned UK government trade envoy to Australia is significantly wide of the mark.
“We all realise the world is a different place from what it was 18 months ago before the pandemic happened,” Woakes said. “I don’t think there’s any hiding behind Covid. If we were living in a normal world, we would be chomping at the bit.
This story is from the October 12, 2021 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the October 12, 2021 edition of The Guardian.
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