New Zealand call off Australia tour over Covid rules

New Zealand Cricket called off an upcoming tour of Australia on Wednesday, 11 days before the scheduled first match, because of strict Covid-19 quarantine requirements.

Since the tour was arranged, the New Zealand government has changed its rules for entry into the country because of the threat posed by the Omicron variant.

There is now a 10-day mandatory isolation period for all incoming travellers, and Wellington could not guarantee there would be places in quarantine facilities for the team.

Although Australia offered to extend the length of the tour so the New Zealand players could return at a time when there was availability, the government said it had no capacity to meet that request.