Ashes 2021: 'If you are selected, you should go' says Andrew Strauss to England squad

Former England captain Andrew Strauss reckoned that the upcoming Ashes 2021 in Australia should be carried out as per schedule. The five-match Test series is scheduled to commence on December 8, but the England cricketers aren’t quite confirmed to tour Australia due to the strict quarantine rules set by the government down under in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joe Root, the Three Lions’ Test skipper, has also refrained from giving any confirmation on his travel. Batter Jos Buttler, who became a father recently, also expressed his reservations about having to undergo stringent quarantine rules and staying away from his family.

However, Strauss said the series should take place even in the tumultuous times as it’s a high-profile affair. The veteran was clear cut in saying that the players should not back out after being picked for the tour.

Ashes 2021: If you are selected on an Ashes tour, you should go, Andrew Strauss asserts

"To me, the Ashes need to go ahead. We are learning to live with Covid in this country and Australia is in a slightly different place. But the Ashes means a lot to a lot of people, and some of them are people who are going through a tough time themselves.

"There is a way of making it happen and I think we are moving in the right direction. I think there will be accommodations made and that families will get out there," Andrew Strauss told Daily Mail.  

Strauss also sounded optimistic on the arrangements to be made for the cricketers and their families by Cricket Australia and the Australian government.

"Personally, I think if you are selected on an Ashes tour, you should go. An Ashes tour is not the one to pull out of, in my opinion. But I understand that everyone sees things slightly differently. But I think that between Cricket Australia, the Australian government and the ECB, they will find a way that works for both the players and their families," he added.

Previously, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen dropped a scathing tweet, saying that the Brits are done with the tough quarantines. Later, Tim Paine, the Aussie Test captain, hit out at Pietersen, saying that the decision to go to Australia should be left to the players.

Image: AP