Lyon ready as NSW, Vic players face quarantine ahead of Ashes

Nathan Lyon is adamant two weeks quarantine is a small price to pay to play in the Ashes, with the off-spinner hopeful England will send a near full-strength squad out to Australia this summer.

England will make a call this week on whether they will tour after expressing concerns over Australia's strict COVID-19 protocols for international arrivals and the possibility of bio-secure bubbles.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is expected to announce by Saturday its touring squad for the five-match Vodafone Ashes that starts in Brisbane on December 8.

Lyon will be among a group of Australian players from New South Wales and Victoria who will also likely be required to quarantine for a fortnight before joining teammates ahead of the first Test at the Gabba given Queensland's border is currently shut to the country's two most populous states.

Australia's women players from the two states faced a similar scenario in Queensland ahead of their series against India, which moves into T20 mode tonight.

"I've got no dramas with quarantine. I'm happy to get in there and get it done," said the 33-year-old.

"I don't feel comfortable sitting here judging people if they want to do quarantine (or not), it's really up to the individual.

"(But) my experience with quarantine is that it's a small price to pay to put a lot of smiles on people's faces around Australia and around the world as well."

Ian Botham is among those to have questioned England players' desire to be involved in the "ultimate test", but Lyon has more sympathy for his Ashes rivals, suggesting their concerns "are a little deeper than that".

Cricket Australia has tried to address England's reservations, saying in a statement that "the anticipated conditions for the tour, including quarantine arrangements have now been communicated to the ECB and directly to the England players and staff."

The England and Wales Cricket Board has said it will meet this week to "to decide whether the conditions in place are sufficient for the tour to go ahead and enable the selection of a squad befitting a series of this significance".

Captain Joe Root is said to be an influential figure in whether the tour goes ahead.

"Knowing Joe Root on a personal (level), firstly he's a great guy, but he's a very good competitor as well," said Lyon.

"He likes getting into the fight out in the middle as well. He's the number one batter in the world at the moment.

"I'm expecting them to come out pretty well full strength. Ashes series make careers – if people don't come out and then (their replacement) has an absolute blinder of an Ashes series, that really sets up their career.

"So I know if I was in their shoes I'd be putting both hands up for selection and jumping on that tour if I could."

Lyon also said he hoped his nemesis from 2019's thrilling Headingley Test, Ben Stokes, would play this summer though appears less likely after the star allrounder, who is currently on indefinite leave for mental health reasons, underwent a second round of finger surgery this week and now faces four weeks of intensive rehab.

Lyon expects to play just two Sheffield Shield games – both against Victoria – before joining Australia's Test squad but floated the possibility of the Australians playing a three-day trial game in Queensland before December 8's scheduled series opener.

He insisted that will be adequate preparation for the marquee series, having enjoyed his first ever full pre-season at home in Sydney over the winter, COVID-19 restrictions notwithstanding.

"I'm not worried at all about my preparation," said Lyon. "We've been very lucky here in New South Wales being able to train in small groups for the majority of the (preseason).

"I'm ready to go now. I'm itching to start playing some cricket … If the Test started tomorrow I'd be itching to go knowing my skillset is where it needs to be."

Vodafone Men's Ashes v England

First Test: December 8-12, The Gabba

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Perth Stadium