Pietersen Says Will Back England Players If They Pull Out Of Ashes Series

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has come out in support of his country's cricketers on the prospect of them not being able to take their families to Australia during the long Ashes tour later this year.

The English cricket team travels to Australia in November and plays the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 8. However, they may not be accompanied by their families due to the Covid-19 protocols in Australia.

The South Africa-born Pietersen, who played over 100 Tests for England and scored more than 8,000 runs, tweeted on Tuesday that, "Any ENG player that pulls out of this Ashes, if they seriously can't see their families for FOUR MONTHS, has my full backing. Families are the most important part of a players make up. And even more so in the current climate! FOUR MONTHS with no family on Ashes Tour?"

England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler too had expressed his reservations on Tuesday, saying, "That (bringing back Ashes) would be a huge challenge, especially when you are accustomed to being able to take your family."

"A lot of the guys have young families, so I am sure they would find that tough. Hopefully, a positive solution can be found," the 30-year-old was quoted as saying by dailymail.co.uk.

England wind up the Ashes on January 18 in Perth. Prior to that, the likes of Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, among others, who play limited-overs cricket too, will also be representing England on the tours of Pakistan, Bangladesh as well as the T20 World Cup.

This will mean a long time in quarantine and an almost five-month stay away from their families.

Cricket Australia has reportedly requested the Australian government to allow English cricketers' families to travel with them.