Adam Hollioake had originally been brought in for the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney because England head coach Chris Silverwood is isolating, while spin coach Jeetan Patel, fast bowling mentor Jon Lewis and strength and conditioning lead Darren Veness have all tested positive
Saturday 1 January 2022 22:16, UK
Adam Hollioake will not be joining the England set-up for the fourth Ashes Test after a close contact tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
England had drafted in the former one-day captain to bolster their depleted coaching ranks ahead of the Test in Sydney.
However, he is now unable to join up with the travelling party, while England will not be bringing in any coaching support for the Test.
Four key members of the backroom team have been left behind in Melbourne as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak in camp. Head coach Chris Silverwood is isolating with his family, while spin coach Jeetan Patel, fast bowling mentor Jon Lewis and strength and conditioning lead Darren Veness all tested positive.
That had led to the SOS call to Hollioake, the former Surrey all-rounder who was renowned as an innovative thinker in his playing days and captained the ODI side 14 times between 1997 and 1999.
Hollioake, who made his Test debut in the 1997 Ashes alongside his late brother Ben, was seen as a perfect addition as he lives close by on the Gold Coast and is a friend and former team-mate of Silverwood's stand-in Graham Thorpe.
It means Thorpe is the only full-time England and Wales Cricket Board coach currently with the team, supported by Nottinghamshire's Ant Botha and wicketkeeping specialist James Foster who are both on short-term consultancy contracts.
