LONDON (AFP): The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that no professional cricket will be played until July 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a notification issued today (Friday), the England cricket board has informed that the international tours – including West Indies tour – will be rescheduled in the period of July until the end of September.
“The women’s series against India, including one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches, will also be moved,” the notification added.
The notification also stated that nine rounds of fixtures will be lost in the four-day county championship season, but time slots for red-ball and white-ball cricket will remain in a revised schedule.
The ECB said, “The Twenty20 Blast will be pushed as late in the season as possible,” adding that all matches previously scheduled in June will be moved later in the season.
In this regard, ECB chief executive officer Tom Harrison has said that the board has decided to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance of play.
He further said, “There will be no cricket unless it’s safe to play,” adding, “our schedule will only go ahead if government guidance permits.”
He also informed, “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.”
It is pertinent to mention here that major sports events around the globe have been postponed or canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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