Speaking to a few of the Ashes lads, they are pretty relaxed about their preparation ahead of next week’s first Test at the Gabba here in Brisbane.
The rain has been absolutely relentless since we got out of quarantine. Thursday, when the lads got out onto the field to play, was probably the best day we’ve had in a couple of weeks.
But it’s part of professional sport – you can’t always get what you want.
Their attitude is, ‘It is what it is, we’ll do our best to be ready’.
They’re out here to win the series, and I would still back them to do it.
Both the Ashes and the Lions squad have been training together. Most of it has been done indoors, with the senior lads getting priority.
Even so, to watch them train, learn from them and have conversations with them has been brilliant. You can only get better from that as a young player.
I have not been involved in the intra-squad game played over the last couple of days, instead just preparing in case I am selected for the A game against Australia, which starts next Thursday.
After that, the plan is to leave the Lions squad and fly straight into the Big Bash with Hobart Hurricanes. As I said a couple of weeks ago, I’m really looking forward to that competition, and hopefully I can bring a lot to that team
Once we landed early last month, our quarantine was slightly different from the normal rules for those arriving in Australia.
We started with three days of hard quarantine, which I found absolutely horrible. I don’t know how people do 14 days of hard quarantine because it was absolutely minging for me. Not being allowed out of your room, hats off to those who have done that!
I found myself walking up and down my room, staring at the walls and not knowing what to do with myself because I was trying to stay off my phone as much as possible.
I’m sure a few of the other lads found it alright because they game and things like that. But I’m not really a gamer.
Once the three days were done, we were at least able to get out of our rooms and use the hotel pool and things like that. The only time we were allowed out of the hotel was to go to training.
There was nobody else using the hotel, and even the staff weren’t allowed to come near us.
It was a challenge, but thankfully we’re out of it now.
Once you’re out of quarantine, it’s nowhere near as strict as I was expecting it would be. We are pretty much living normal lives now.
So I have been out for food quite a bit, have played some golf and done a bit of Christmas shopping whilst exploring Brisbane as a city.
Matthew Fisher is out here with me as part of the Lions squad, and he is loving it even if he is a bit frustrated with the weather as well.
We just want to string a few sunny days together having been sat in the hotel for 14 days with the sun shining and then for it to be non-stop rain since we got out!
