CRICKET in England has been wiped out until at least July 1 – but chiefs are still hoping to play all scheduled international matches by the end of September.
The ECB had already postponed the start of the season until May 28 and have now confirmed a further delay until the beginning of July.
But the teams captained by Joe Root and Eoin Morgan could still have a full complement of six Tests, six one-dayers and six T20s against West Indies, Australia, Pakistan and Ireland.
If those fixtures can take place, many if not all will be played behind closed doors which ECB chief executive Tom Harrison admits is “our biggest challenge.”
The ECB management board met via video conference call on Thursday and approved plans to postpone all professional cricket in England and Wales until at least July 1.
The launch of the controversial new Hundred competition looks set to be postponed until 2021 but the management board have scheduled another meeting for next week to confirm its fate.
England were due to start their summer with a three-Test series against West Indies beginning at the Oval on June 4. Those matches will be pushed back.
England women’s games against India will also move from their original slots. All plans are subject to government advice and approval.
The ECB are expecting initially to play matches behind closed doors, which presents huge logistical issues involving testing and isolating around 300 players, staff and broadcasters for potentially several weeks.
Cricket will watch other sports closely if games are behind closed doors. But a five-Test presents particular problems compared, say, to a 90-minute football match.
The first nine rounds of the county championship have been lost but the ECB still hope to schedule some red-ball county cricket.
But the priority for counties will be the Vitality T20 Blast competition – which is highly lucrative if spectators are permitted inside grounds – as the governing body seek to limit the financial damage of Covid-19.
The Blast will be pushed back as late as possible to give the best opportunity of matches being staged. All the Blast matches that were scheduled for June will be moved to later in the summer.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: “Our role as a national governing body during a crisis of this scale requires us to plan carefully 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.
“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.
“I want to thank everyone involved in this complex and sensitive work. There have clearly never been times like this and my colleagues at the ECB and across the game have been exemplary in this period.
“It has been refreshing, but not surprising, to see how cricket has come together.”
