England Test captain Joe Root admits there has been a thrum of anxiety in the tourists’ camp, with several key figures having fallen ill with COVID-19 and their preparation for the fourth Test thrown into disarray.
Head coach Chris Silverwood, seam bowling mentor Jon Lewis, spin coach Jeetan Patel and fitness boss Darren Veness have all tested positive since the Boxing Day Test.
It has left the players with a skeleton crew of coaches, led by Silverwood’s assistant Graham Thorpe, consultants and even communications staff, according to The Guardian.
Former England captain Adam Hollioake drove down from Queensland to lend a hand, but was forced to enter isolation having learned he was a close contact.
The strangest twist was saved for their first session at the SCG, when the net bowlers - drawn from local club cricketers - were asked to leave midway through, as one had returned a positive.
“It’s one of those frustrating things that can happen around the environment we’re currently living and playing in,” Root told reporters on Monday.
“Of course, there’s an element of anxiety around COVID and with the amount of cases that we’ve seen around the games themselves.
“Whether that be you guys within the media, family members or the opposition… unfortunately, it’s the world we’re living in, and we’ve got to manage it as best we can.”
The Australians have also experienced disruption, with an asymptomatic Travis Head now isolating in Melbourne, and the domestic limited overs scene devastated by the outbreak.
Conversely, England, in spite of the coronavirus having rippled through the coaching team, should be able to select an XI based on form and the conditions.
“Thankfully it got resolved as quickly as possible, and the medical staff seem certain that no-one was put at risk or that anyone was a close contact,” Root relayed.
“You have to trust the medical advice, those guys are employed to do their job as we are to put in performances, and we’ve just got to crack on as best we can.”
While they won’t go without any key personnel on the pitch at the SCG, each member of the England team has had to chip in and help each other out.
Root was spotted using a ‘slinger,’ a tool usually used to throw tennis balls for dogs, but in this setting used to replicate fast bowling.
“It is disjointed at the minute,” Root admitted.
“It’s not an ideal set of circumstances that we find ourselves in but we’ve just got to front up to it, to the best of our ability, and get as much out of these two days as we can.”
The 31-year-old sees the upside in the depletion of the tourists’ resources, however.
He believes it could build back trust within the England team, on a tour characterised by discontentment around selection, performance and responsibility.
“It should absolutely bring us together,” Root emphasised.
“Sometimes when you look around the dressing room and you know that someone has helped you out and put that hard work in, it can really galvanise a team.
“I think that’s what we need right now, to really get tight and stick together.
“It would be easy to get fractious and point fingers at who could be better here or there, but ultimately we’re in this together.
“We’re where we are because as a team, collectively, we’ve not performed as well as we can.
“We’ve got two opportunities to put that right.”