Queensland's shutting of its border to NSW following Sydney COVID-19 outbreak has meant three Australia A players will miss upcoming games in Brisbane and Gold Coast
Carey, Maddinson to miss BBL games due to border closure
Adelaide Strikers and the Melbourne Stars will be without key players for their upcoming KFC BBL clashes after Queensland’s closure of its border to New South Wales wreaked havoc on Australia A players who have recently been in Sydney.
Strikers captain Alex Carey, teammate Harry Conway and Stars batter Nic Maddinson will miss games on Wednesday (Strikers versus Brisbane Heat at the Gabba) and Saturday (Stars versus Sydney Sixers on the Gold Coast) respectively due to their involvement in the recent Australia A versus India tour game at the SCG.
The Queensland border shut at 1am on Monday morning to anyone who had been in Sydney since December 11 due to the Northern Beaches COVID-19 outbreak.
Australia A’s tour match against India finished on December 13 and players departed the following day.
Cricket Australia became aware of the situation on Sunday. Carey and Conway were unable to fly out that day given the Strikers' match against the Sydney Sixers was played that evening in Hobart.
Instead of flying to Brisbane on a charter flight from Hobart with Strikers teammates on Monday, Carey and Conway instead travelled to Adelaide, where they will now remain for the Strikers' following game against the Hurricanes on December 28.
Peter Siddle will captain the Strikers in Carey's absence while Harry Nielsen is likely to take the gloves.
Cricket Australia also endeavored to get Maddinson, another Australia A player, into Queensland at the eleventh hour on Sunday, but he was unable to get on a flight.
Maddinson is currently in Melbourne as one of a number of Stars players who has gone home to take advantage of a 10-day break in their playing schedule. He is expected to be available for their next match on December 29 against Sydney Thunder in Canberra.
The other Stars players on leave - Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dunk and Seb Gotch – are all expected to be available to play on Boxing Day against the Sixers.
Other members of the Australia A squad who have upcoming BBL games in Queensland had already made it into the state.
Will Sutherland (Melbourne Renegades) and Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes) arrived in Queensland on Sunday before the border shut, while Jack Wildermuth and Mark Steketee (Heat) had already arrived back in Brisbane earlier in the week.
"It's unfortunate Alex and Harry are unable to be here with us in Brisbane," said Strikers coach Jason Gillespie, who added that Siddle had been getting captaincy advice from assistant coach and former Australia limited-overs skipper Cameron White.
"Deep down we were hopeful something might change but as it stands we will be without them … All teams are having to be adaptable and flexible, that's why we've got large squads."
Steketee admitted Carey's absence would be a bonus for the Heat.
"It's good for us isn't it?" said Steketee. "He's a pretty handy player. You want to play against the best so at the same time it's disappointing.
"He's been one of the form keeper batsmen of the comp. I'm sure he's pretty disappointed he can't be here."