The host broadcaster of the Australia-India Test series admits logistical challenges mean staging a Test in Sydney this summer is less preferable than having back-to-back matches in Melbourne.
Fox Cricket general manager Matt Weiss said the pay-TV outlet could call an SCG Test remotely in part, which is what it will do for the Boxing Day Test, with Kerry O'Keeffe, Brett Lee and Mark Waugh commentating from Sydney while Shane Warne and others are in Melbourne.Getty Images "There's certainly health-and-safety concerns that need to be worked through with a crew of about 100. And with the lack of movement of that crew after a Sydney Test, it creates logistical issues that make it a less preferable option at this stage.
Seven Melbourne managing director and head of sport Lewis Martin said they could accommodate a Sydney Test by calling it largely from a studio in Melbourne if required. "The strategy now is to maximise your flexibility and a two-week quarantine at the moment limits your flexibility," Martin said.CA sports science and sports medicine manager Alex Kountouris said cricket had taken lessons from the football codes in facing challenges with biosecurity and state borders as the summer sport developed its own protocols and contingency plans in the event of an outbreak.