The Fifth Ashes Test will not be played in Perth, Cricket Australia has confirmed

The fifth test in the Australia-England Ashes series will be moved from Perth to another location due to border controls in Western Australia, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Monday.

The governing body has said that attempts to negotiate the terms of the January 14-18 match at Perth Stadium have been unsuccessful and discussions have begun on a replacement seat.

“We are very disappointed that we cannot do the Ash Test at Perth Stadium,” CA CEO Nick Hockley said in a statement.

“We did everything we could … to operate within the current boundaries and health arrangements, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible.”

Western Australia has largely managed to keep COVID-19 out of the state with strict controls and is currently banning passengers from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia from crossing its border without suffering a 14-day quarantine.

The fourth round is scheduled to end in Sydney’s New South Wales capital on 9 January, leaving enough time for players to complete their isolation.

Hobart, which was scheduled to host a test against Afghanistan in November before being postponed due to the Taliban’s takeover, is a favorite to take host rights for the Fifth Test.

Sydney and Melbourne officials have also stated that they will be ready to hold a second test of the series.

A recent proposal by a Western Australian government minister to date the exchange dates in Perth for the second test in Adelaide from 16 to 20 December was unsuccessful.

Those traveling from Queensland to Western Australia, where the first Test takes place on Wednesday, are allowed to enter without quarantine and Sports Minister Tony Buti has suggested that players go directly from Brisbane to Perth.

“The complexity of border controls, the requirements of forty, and the complexity of arranging a series of five tests on a tight schedule unfortunately make it impossible to align the respective priorities (of all stakeholders),” the CA statement said.

“These complexities also mean that any suggestion to change the order of the halls is not feasible.”