Perth’s hopes of hosting the fifth Ashes Test were in serious doubt on Tuesday after Western Australia’s premier said players and broadcasters must quarantine for 14 days on entering the state. 

Cricket officials had been confident the potentially pivotal clash between Australia and England would go ahead in the city after suggestions that some of its tough COVID restrictions would be relaxed or exemptions granted. But the emergence of the new Omicron Coronavirus variant has complicated matters and Premier Mark McGowan indicated the state’s hardline quarantine rules would remain.