England coach to miss SCG Test due to COVID case

England coach Chris Silverwood will miss the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney after the COVID-19 outbreak in the touring team's camp grew to seven.

Silverwood awoke on Thursday to the news that he had been identified as a close contact, after a family member in the touring party contracted the virus.

The under-fire England coach returned a negative result in the latest round of tests but will remain in Melbourne and isolate for 10 days.

With the Sydney Test starting on Wednesday, he is not expected to be available for any of the match, when England must attempt to regroup after surrendering the series 3-0 in less than 12 days of cricket.

Batting coach Graham Thorpe is expected to take over as England's head coach in the interim, with their staff now torn apart by the outbreak.

Bowling coach Jon Lewis and spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel are believed to be among others staying behind in Victoria as well as strength and conditioning coach Darren Veness.

A member of the family group felt unwell on the night of Boxing Day, and rapid tests the following morning showed a positive case.

The entire touring party was then rapid tested on the morning of day two, with all players returning negatives but a total of four cases found in the tour party.

Those four results were then backed up by PCR tests later that night, providing a further two cases in non-playing members of the group.

England players are due to share a chartered flight with the Australians to Sydney on Friday, before they all stay at a hotel booked out exclusively for the groups.

Cricket Australia are adamant the Sydney Test can go ahead as planned, despite rapidly rising case numbers in the city and the outbreak in England's camp.

Crowds of above 35,000 are expected for the first three days at the SCG and CA is confident that fans won't stay away amid the record surge of cases.

The below-capacity crowd forecasts are in line with figures from around the country throughout the Ashes series, with attendances down across all sports during the pandemic.

"We've got very robust COVID-safe plans that are led by the venues working closely with the health authorities," CA CEO Nick Hockley told ABC.

"Outdoor settings we know are lower risk. Everyone will be double vaccinated, they're seated venues.

"As long as everyone follows the advice, I think people can come in the knowledge they're going to be safe."

Hockley's comments came amid reports that at least five people who attended the MCG match had returned positive rapid antigen tests.

The NSW Government on Wednesday changed close contact rules for all people, allowing them to leave isolation after a negative test.

That same rule had already been invoked for cricketers on Tuesday.

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 275 runs

Third Test: Australia won by an innings and 14 runs

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena