Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence fined for Covid-19 protocol breach

Lynn, Brisbane Heat captain, and Lawrence, one of the team’s overseas players, have both accepted fines worth AU$10,000, of which AU$4,000 will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament

Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have each been fined after breaching Covid-19 protocols set out for the Big Bash.

Lynn, Brisbane Heat captain, and Lawrence, one of the team’s overseas players, have both accepted fines worth AU$10,000 (£5,640), of which AU$4,000 (£2,260) will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament.

The sanctions relate to an incident in Canberra on Saturday evening when the two players came into close contact with members of the public; a selfie that appeared on social media involving the players and fans reportedly prompted the initial investigation.

Both men were subsequently permitted to play against Sydney Thunder, albeit while retaining physical distance from their teammates.

Brisbane Heat have also been fined to the tune of AU$50,000 (£28,270), with AU$20,000 (£11,310) suspended for the rest of the campaign. They were found to have breached four sections of the Covid-19 directive for state associations and BBL teams.

^{Lynn and Lawrence both played in Heat's defeat against Sydney Thunder}

Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia’s head of integrity and security, said: “The Code of Conduct charges issued today relate to alleged breaches of protocols that are in place in order to protect our players, officials, staff and the wider community.

“Potential Covid-19 hotspots and related impacts on state borders remain a challenge for the league and it is imperative that all protocols are adhered to, giving us the best opportunity to move around the country and execute the full schedule.”

“While Australia’s current Covid-19 infection rate remains low, we must ensure that appropriate measures are taken to reduce the possibility of any player, staff member or official being connected to a declared hot spot. State/territory governments enforced isolation and restrictions for crossing borders for declared hot spots may impact the individuals involved, the team and potentially jeopardise the BBL season.

“Medically, this particular breach was lower risk, but actions of this kind have the potential to compromise the integrity of and confidence in our bio-security protocols.

“We’d like to thank Queensland Cricket, the Brisbane Heat, the ACA and both players for their cooperation throughout this investigation.”

Lawrence is due to return home after Heat's fifth game, at which point he will fly out to Sri Lanka as part of England's Test squad for a two-match series.

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