Kevin Pietersen has 'Zero chance' of going to Australia for the Ashes; here's why

England's former cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Monday called Australia's strict quarantine rules 'ridiculous' and also said that he would not travel to the country for the Ashes 2021 unless the country lifts it. Ashes 2021, which is slated to take place in Australia has been in the spotlight with several England players expressing their concerns against the strict COVID protocols that are currently in place Down Under.

Pietersen on his Twitter also wrote that unless his family cannot travel with zero restrictions and Australia's strict quarantine rules do not get squashed, he will not travel there. Pietersen also said that players have had enough of staying in bio-secure bubbles.

The five-match Test series is scheduled to begin from December 8 and continue till January 18. But the fate of the tour remains unclear with several senior English players having considered the possibility of boycotting it considering the types of restrictions they have to live in.

British PM Johnson asks Scott Morrison to ease quarantine rules for players

Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had raised the issue of a travel ban on the families of England cricketers for the Ashes with his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, on the sidelines of a diplomatic visit to Washington DC. British PM Boris Johnson raised the issue around the Ashes 2021 and was confident of getting a confirmation from his Australian counterpart.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Boris Johnson had said, “I raised it and he said he was going to do his best for the families. He totally got the point that for the cricketers, it is very tough to ask people to be away from their families over Christmas. He merely undertook to come back and see if he could find a solution.”

Recently, Michael Vaughan had urged England players to give the upcoming T20 World Cup a miss and prepare for the Ashes 2021 instead. Vaughan was of the opinion that the Ashes is a bigger series as it comes just once in four years, unlike the T20 World Cup that happens once every two years.

With next month's T20 World Cup set to be played under a strict bio-bubble in the United Arab Emirates, England's all-format players could end up staying in a bubble for almost four months if they go ahead with the long tour of Australia. Australia plans to ease border and quarantine restrictions by the end of this year after at least 80% of its adult population receive two COVID-19 vaccination shots.

Officials in the COVID-free states of Western Australia and Queensland have however said they may keep their borders shut for a longer period, depending on the situation.

Australia are the current holders of the Ashes 'Urn', after having drawn the previous series 2-2 in England.

(Image: AP)

(Inputs: PTI)