The resumption of cricket in England will see an additional delay, as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has further extended the start of the 2020 season due to the ongoing global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Friday (April 24).
The continues spread of the deadly COVOD-19 and the lockdown in the UK has forced the ECB to extend the previous delay of May 28 to July, as the board on Friday announced that there will be no professional cricket played in England and Wales until at least 1 July due to the ongoing global crisis.
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However, the domestic competitions – which were scheduled to start on 12 April, have been not canceled yet, but the latest development could lead to a postponement of England's Test series against the West Indies.
The ECB also insisted that the board will look to schedule all international cricket between July and the end of September, while they will meet on Wednesday (April 29) to discuss the inaugural season of The Hundred, which is due to start on 17 July.
ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said: “Our role as a national governing body during a crisis of this scale requires us to carefully plan alongside cricket’s stakeholders and supporters to attempt to overcome COVID-19’s impact on this season. As much as we remain hopeful that we can deliver some cricket this summer, we are in the midst of a worldwide crisis and our priority – over and above the playing of professional sport – will be to protect the vulnerable, key workers and society as a whole.”
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He signed off by saying, “That’s why simply put, there will be no cricket unless it’s safe to play. Our schedule will only go ahead if Government guidance permits. Our biggest challenge, along with other sports, is how we could seek to implement a bio-secure solution that offers optimum safety and security for all concerned. The guidance we receive from Westminster will help us shape how we deliver this.
Our plan is to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance of play. The Vitality Blast will also now occupy the latest possible season slot to offer as much time as possible to play a County short-form competition.”
(With AFP Inputs)
