England Players 'Not Hiding' Over Ashes Quarantine Fears Says Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes on Monday hit back at suggestions England's cricketers were ducking the challenge of an Ashes tour to Australia over concerns about strict coronavirus quarantine restrictions. The Eng

"People want securities around what life is going to be like once we are there. I don't think there's any hiding behind Covid.

"We would be chomping at the bit. There are a group of players in the England team with an opportunity to go to Australia and hopefully win an Ashes series. That's huge. It's still the pinnacle and everybody knows that."

Woakes added he is yet to decide whether to travel with his young family to Australia, with the possibility of a 14-day quarantine on arrival and limited contact with their loved ones between matches.

For the next month, the all-rounder's focus is on the T20 World Cup, which starts later in October in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. "We have a big World Cup in front of us. You don't want to get to the end of the World Cup and think, 'I wasn't fully engaged'," he added.

"It is a great opportunity to lift some silverware for your country and this T20 World Cup could pretty much be won by anyone. "That is what is so exciting and it will be a great tournament to be part of. The Ashes stuff will have to be parked -- we have to give this our full attention."