The Ashes series
was in jeopardy due to the several restrictions that had been put in place
by the Australian Cricket Board. The fans
can start breathing easily (at least for the time being) after the England and
Wales Cricket Board‘s decision to give conditional approval for the Men’s Ashes Tour.

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The ECB revealed that
excellent progress has been made in the talks between the cricket bodies which
has made it possible for the Tour to go ahead as planned.

In a press release the
ECB stated, “To facilitate further progress and
allow a squad to be selected, The ECB Board has met today and given its
approval for the tour to go ahead. This decision is subject to several critical
conditions being met before we travel.”

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The statement further read, “We
look forward to the ongoing assistance from Cricket Australia in resolving
these matters in the coming days.”

The English players had cited their
concerns regarding the 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival, living in a
bubble environment and staying away from their families for a long period of
time.

British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson had raised the issue with Australia’s Prim Minister Scott
Morrison and it seems like the dialogue between the parties was positive.

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As for the squad
selection for the upcoming Tour, the English will be travelling without several
big names. The list includes Moeen Ali (retired from Test cricket), Jofra
Archer (elbow injury).

While the presence of
some big names is in doubt due to several reasons. England’s skipper Joe Root refused
to commit being a part of the squad for the Ashes earlier, Jos Buttler declared
he would not be travelling without his family and Ben Stokes had to undergo a
second surgery on his injured finger.

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However, a strong
England side is expected to participate in the historic contest. The sporting
event which dates back to 140 years has a special place in the hearts of
cricket fans all over the globe.

Australia retained the
trophy in 2019 thanks to a 2-2 series draw with England.