With most countries going into lockdown, closing borders and issuing travel restrictions to contain the spread of Coronavirus outbreak, cricket has come to a grinding halt.

No wonder, the game will face a major financial crisis once things get back on track. Therefore, ECB on Tuesday (March 31) announced a 61 million pound package to help English cricket "withstand" the financial impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

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According to the ECB, financial assistance will be made available at every level of the game across counties, boards and clubs.

"We understand these are challenging times and it has been our priority to provide swift and immediate support to all members of the cricket family at every level in England and Wales," Tom Harrison, chief executive officer of the ECB, said.

Around 40 million pounds will be given immediately while a further 21 million to follow in interest-free loans with a sole focus to ensure that the game can survive this torrid period.

"We are fully aware that the situation with COVID-19 will continue to develop, and it will be months before the full financial fallout is made clear.

"We will continue to work with all of our partners to protect the ongoing health of the entire game in the short term and beyond," Harrison said.

Meanwhile, Tom Harrison confirmed there were no plans to cut the pay of annually contracted England cricketers. However, he warned that there would be problems if the epidemic wiped out the entire summer.

"We would like to thank everyone within the cricket network who is working tirelessly to protect the game during this period of uncertainty," he said.

Considering the rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases, the ECB last month had suspended all professional cricket in the country till May 28.

(Inputs from PTI)