The England Cricket Board (ECB), on Friday, revealed that it has got offers from other cricket boards to complete its home season fixtures affected by COVID-19.
The ECB, on Friday, announced an extension in the delay of its home season until July 1 due to the ongoing global crisis. During the announcement, ECB Chief Tom Harrison said that New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia have tabled an offer to help the ECB in completing its home season matches, which are currently halted due to the Coronavirus crisis.
Harrison’s comments came after the Surrey chairman Richard Thompson earlier said Abu Dhabi had offered to host matches for the ECB.
“We’ve had offers as far away as Australia and New Zealand,” said Harrison. “Those offers are on the table.
“I haven’t had anything from Abu Dhabi, but that’s not to say the offer hasn’t been made.”
ECB Hopeful Of Rescheduling
England’s international cricket season was due to start with a three Tests series against the West Indies from June 4 but with ECB delaying start of professional cricket seasons to 1 July, it is likely that the test-series would need to be rescheduled.
English Cricket Board and its officials plan to re-schedule the International cricket, featuring England men’s and women’s teams, from July until the end of September.
Tom Harrison said, “Our plan is to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance of play.”
Cricket Australia’s Offer Unclear
Meanwhile, it’s quite unclear what offer was made by Cricket Australia as the current situation in Australia too is not very different from that in England. Besides, it also unclear who will Cricket Australia will execute its offers as the Australian government has banned the entry of all kinds of foreigners till September 30.
However, according a report published in Digital Media Production of Cricket Australia, A ‘biosecurity’ option – where an international team could serve a quarantine, such at the Adelaide Oval’s under-construction 138-bed hotel in the eastern grandstand – is among the plans being considered.
Although the ‘biosecurity’ option sounds a good idea, cricket fans have to wait for the resumption of live cricket until the ECB reaches to a final decision. And keeping in mind the ongoing crisis, the decision to host cricket in a “Lockdown World” is going to be really a tough job.
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