Cricket could witness a number of changes in the post COVID-19 world. The ICC Cricket Committee has already recommended ban on saliva to shine the ball and there is a high chance that the matches will be held in empty stadiums for some time.

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Moreover, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is discussing the possibility of introducing substitutes if a player tests positive for Coronavirus during a Test match.

"COVID replacements are certainly something that the ICC are discussing," Steve Elworthy, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) director of special projects, told Sky Sports.

“I’ve seen communication about that and it’s certainly something we hope would be allowed — specifically for Test matches, not necessarily ODIs (one-day internationals) or T20s (Twenty20),” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that the ICC last year approved “like for like” substitutes across all formats to replace concussed players during matches and Elworthy said the same rule would have to be applied for COVID-19 substitutes.

“That replacement would have to be a ‘like for like’ player... Our on-site COVID medical practitioner and Public Health England would be informed immediately and that player would then be put into isolation for a period of time,” he stated.

England are due to host the West Indies in a three-Test series next month. The visitors’ touring party will be comprised of a 14-member squad in addition to 11 reserves who will train and quarantine together before the first Test scheduled for 8 July in Southampton.

“With the testing protocols of getting those players into that (bio-secure) bubble first, you would hope that wouldn’t be a scenario we’d have to deal with. But clearly it’s something we are planning for,” Elworthy said.

(Inputs from Reuters)