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Steve Smith Captains Australia in 2nd Ashes Test After Pat Cummins is Ruled Out

Australia lead the Ashes 1-0.

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Cricket
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The was chaos within the Australian camp in Adelaide hours before the Pink Ball Test against England as newly appointed captain Pat Cummins was ruled out of the game after having come in close contact with a COVID-19 positive case at a restaurant last night.

Steve Smith, who had been stripped of his captaincy due to the ball-tampering incident in South Africa in 2018, will lead the Australian side in the Test. This is Smith’s first Test as captain since that fiasco that rocked Australian cricket. He returns to captaincy after 45 months.

Cummins has been replaced by Michael Nesser, who makes his debut in the longest format. Australia are also without the ace pacer Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out due to injury.

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Cummins is said to have been dining at a restaurant in Adelaide with another cricketer on the eve of the game when someone at an adjoining table was identified as a positive case. Cummins reportedly left immediately and alerted the authorities.

According to the COVID-19 protocols he will require to get tested immediately and isolate for 7 days. He will then have COVID tests on Day 6 and 13 thereafter and require negative results to be able to resume normal activity.

"Cummins was dining in a restaurant last night and did not breach any biosecurity protocols. He isolated as soon as he became aware of the situation and has since had a PCR test, which produced a negative result. We anticipate that he will be available to play in the third Vodafone men's Ashes Test at the MCG in Melbourne," a release from Cricket Australia stated.

"Cummins is understandably very disappointed not to be able to captain Australia for the day-night Test in Adelaide. Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were dining at the same restaurant as Cummins but at a separate table outdoors. SA Health has deemed them casual contacts and they are free to play," the release added.

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Topics:  Ashes 

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