Black Caps’ Australia tour postponed over New Zealand’s hard quarantine norms

It could not guarantee relaxation in mandatory hard quarantine upon return of players back home

The Black Caps' white-ball tour of Australia scheduled to start from January 30 has been postponed indefinitely after the government could not guarantee relaxation in mandatory hard quarantine upon return of players back home in view of COVID-related restrictions.

The tour comprising three ODIs and one Twenty20 International was scheduled to be played between January 30 and February 8, but it now stands postponed until further notice as there is no guarantee as to when the players could return to New Zealand.

A change of stance from the New Zealand government to impose a hard 10-day mandatory quarantine in response to the Omicron wave of COVID-19 infections meant New Zealand Cricket could not secure guarantees that the Black Caps players would be allowed back into the country.