Australia v New Zealand: White-ball series postponed over quarantine concerns

Australia and New Zealand's white-ball series, scheduled to start on 30 January, have been postponed because of quarantine concerns for the Black Caps.

Government rules in New Zealand mean all travellers have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the country in an attempt to combat the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The sides were due to play three one-day internationals and a one-off T20.

Australia are «extremely disappointed» said chief executive Nick Hockley.

It is the third successive Australian summer that white-ball series against New Zealand have been cancelled and means Australia face playing no one-day internationals in a home summer for the first time in 44 years.

They are due to host Sri Lanka in four Twenty20 internationals from 11 February, with Cricket Australia chief Hockley saying «the schedule will be confirmed as soon as possible».

Australia are scheduled to travel to New Zealand for three T20s from 17-20 March and the countries explored the option of combining the two series in Australia instead in to avoid quarantine.

However the New Zealand government was «unable to provide certainty» that the restrictions currently in place would be lifted by then.

The Women's Ashes series between Australia and England, which is due to start on Thursday morning, was brought forward by a week because both sides will have to quarantine in New Zealand immediately afterwards so they are able to play in the 50-over World Cup that starts on 4 March.