Victoria lockdown puts domestic restart in doubt

Cricket officials at a state and national level are in discussions with the NSW government after a directive for all Victorian visitors to observe 'stay at home' orders cast doubt over the re-start of the men's domestic season in Sydney on Monday.

It was announced Friday afternoon that the state of Victoria will be put into a five-day lockdown from midnight due to a recent outbreak of COVID19 at a quarantine hotel in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

In response, the NSW government announced that anyone in that state who has been in Victoria in the past two weeks will also have to follow lockdown rules until midnight on Wednesday.

Victoria are due to start the Marsh One-Day Cup season against the Blues in Sydney on Monday before the two sides face each other in a Marsh Sheffield Shield game, starting on Wednesday.

But the Victorian team would now require a government exemption in order for the two matches – at North Sydney Oval at the SCG respectively – to take place as planned.

Discussions are expected to continue over the weekend but, as of a Friday evening, the schedule for next week's games in Sydney is unchanged.

Victorian officials had been seeking to get an earlier flight out of Melbourne – the Vics are currently scheduled to fly to Sydney on Sunday – but it's unlikely they'll leave Melbourne before Saturday.

The NSW Breakers, who were also in Melbourne and lost to Victoria in a WNCL match at Junction Oval on Friday, were due to fly home on Saturday but managed to secure a flight that evening instead, before the Victorian lockdown begins.

However, the NSW government announcement means players and staff will be restricted to their homes for the next five days.

The Breakers' next match is against Tasmania in Hobart on February 25, well after the stay-at-home order is due to expire, while Victoria's women's side aren't scheduled to be in action again until February 21.

While community sport has been cancelled during the snap lockdown, professional sporting teams in Victoria have an exemption to train during the next five days.

Officials moved quickly during the recent KFC BBL season to gain exemptions from various state governments despite several state borders closing suddenly (and applying retrospectively) during the tournament.

Big Bash players and officials were under restrictions of varying levels during the season and also tested regularly as part of bio-secure protocols, which made it easier for Cricket Australia in their negotiations with government officials.

Most state players and coaches have not been living under bio-security protocols since the BBL finished last weekend.

The Victorian men's side have the most arduous schedule of any team in the second half of the re-jigged domestic season given they played just two Shield games before Christmas because of restrictions placed on them following the state's second wave last year.

Victoria coach Chris Rogers, speaking this morning before the five-day lockdown was announced, conceded the volatile nature of the coronavirus and resultant border closures means he was braced for the possibility that the schedule will have to be changed.

"We're worried about the fact that we might not get games in," he said.

"There's probably an expectation or at least some wriggle room around the fact that we might have some games cancelled.

"It's probably up to me and the coaches to prepare players to play and what will be will be. We just have to roll with the punches as a lot of sports have done and take what comes.

"You'd love for every game to go ahead but one of our last games is against Western Australia in Perth so that's going to be touch and go. We'll have to see how that plays out."