Season Could be Extended In Abu Dhabishire

George Dobell ESPN Cricinfo

Abu Dhabi is set to emerge as a potential venue as attempts are made to salvage some cricket from a ravaged English season. ESPNcricinfo understands Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) is set to contact the ECB to offer its facilities for use between October and January. The offer could extend to both county and international cricket and potentially see a portion of costs covered by authorities in the UAE.

At this stage, the UAE has avoided the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic with night-time curfews in place, during which a disinfection programme has been carried out. Perhaps due to the action taken in the early stages of the virus' spread, there are now hopes that much of the UAE will return to work as early as next week. It was announced on Thursday that malls and shops would re-open within guidelines, ahead of Ramadan which starts on Friday. Infection and death rates have, at this stage, been far below those seen in the UK.

The Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, which has over the years been home to Pakistan's cricket, the IPL and PSL, County Championship openers as well as ICC events, has the main ground as well as two support ovals, creating the possibility that multiple games could take place within a few days. It also features 25 lanes of nets and a number of other training resources.

The ground is broadcast-ready in terms of equipment and being effectively state-run, through a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, would eliminate much red tape along the process. Yas Island - a 10-minute drive away - is the location of numerous hotels.

There are, however, major hurdles to such a plan. For a start, it should be remembered that the England team did not leave Sri Lanka due to fears of catching the virus there - they were arguably safer there than in the UK - but because they wanted to be with their families at a time of uncertainty. There is also no guarantee players would be granted permission to travel by the UK government or whether broadcasters would be satisfied with what may amount to a glut of games after a long fallow period.

But it would appear to be an option worth exploring for the ECB. And if it proves possible to stage some form of cricket - be it international, T20 Blast or County Championship - it might go some way towards satisfying broadcaster demands for content.

ADC, it is believed, is also hoping to hold similar discussions with other national boards struggling with the cancellation of live cricket.

No cricket in India in near future: BCCI president.
Hindustan Times.

Thursday, 23 April 2020.

PTG 3095-15315

Amid suggestions and reports of squeezing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in ahead of the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has made it clear that cricket on the sub-continent has taken a backseat and there is no chance of the sport taking place in the country in the near future because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The global outbreak of coronavirus has ceased all major sporting activities around the world including the indefinite postponement of IPL for the first time since its inception. Though there has been no official word from BCCI, there have been reports about the board trying to find a window before the T20 World Cup for IPL.   However, Ganguly has made it clear health is more important that cricket.  

Making reference to Germany where the Budesliga football tournament is set to resume in front of empty stands he said: “The social reality of Germany and India are different, there will be no cricket in India in the near future.  There are too many ifs and buts involved. More importantly, I don’t believe in sport when there is a risk to human life”.

England internationals unlikely to play again until July: team director.

Ali Martin.

The Guardian.

Friday, 10 April 2020.

PTG 3079-15248.

England team director Ashley Giles has said his players have “no excuses” not to stay fit during lockdown but that their need for four weeks of warm-up cricket – including possible inter-squad matches – means staging home internationals before July is unlikely.  England’s Test team were due to begin a summer of four touring sides against West Indies on 4 June but with the season suspended until 28 May, and few expecting a full resumption after this date (PTG 3078-15236, 9 April 2020), the process of moving the biggest fixtures back to August and September is under way.

A number of schedules are being looked at, each shaped by when the government allows sporting events to resume, and cricket will begin behind closed doors. Giles, the England team director, believes his players will be ready for action despite the uncertainty and being restricted to only one trip out per day for exercise.  “We have to hang on to the hopewe will get out there and we will play”, Giles said. “It’s looking less and less likely that we’re going to be out there in June so we have to look at alternatives".

England’s medical team have told Giles four to eight weeks of conditioning are still required before a player can go from lockdown to playing international cricket. The catch here is what form the domestic game takes on resumption, with priority given to the T20 Blast and uncertainty over the County Championship. It means England’s red-ball cricketers may be forced to stage inter-squad matches to tune up, something Australia claimed to benefit from last year when they played among themselves in Southampton before an Ashes series they went on to draw.

Giles said: “I think that would be a decent way around a problem if we weren’t playing cricket more broadly. All 18 county grounds are still up and running and their ground staff are in preparing pitches. We will do whatever we can, as long as our people are safe, to play cricket”.  Among the possible scenarios for a truncated season, given the West Indies tour is followed by visits from Australia, Pakistan and Ireland, is the prospect of England’s Test and One Day International teams playing concurrently. Giles said they must be amenable to this, even if he ruled out such matches occurring on the same day.

English umpires could stand in 2020 home Tests.
Nick Hoult.

London Daily Telegraph.

Friday, 10 April 2020.

PTG 3079-15246.

English umpires will be allowed to stand in home Tests this summer for the first time in 27 years if it eases the logistics of managing quarantine "bio-secure” issues that potentially surround the resuming international cricket (PTG 3069-15195, 1 April 2020) .  The International Cricket Council (ICC) will consider giving permission to play bilateral series using home umpires to lessen complications for England in the aftermath of the coronavirus shutdown.

England are due to play Tests this summer against West Indies and Pakistan, as well as One Day Internationals against Australia. The latter series looks set to be cancelled, as the Australian government has halted international travel for six months.  However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB) remains hopeful it can squeeze in matches against Pakistan and West Indies, who have both shown a willingness to be flexible over dates.

The ICC is willing to relax rules around neutral officials which have been in place for almost three decades. For matches to have Test status currently, they require three neutral umpires and a match referee.  The last two English umpires to stand in a home Test were Merv Kitchen and Barrie Meyer at the Oval Ashes in 1993. The following summer, one neutral umpire was introduced, standing with one home umpire, a process that continued until 2002 when the ICC’s Elite Umpires Panel (EUP) was formed. 

Peter Willey was the last English umpire to officiate in a home Test in 2001, although Ian Gould did stand at Lord’s in an Australia-Pakistan Test in 2010, with Chris Broad the match referee (PTG 632-3151, 12 July 2010).  Neutral umpires were introduced to reduce suspicions of bias but the advent of the Decision Review System (DRS) and constant appraisal of those on the EUP had made it less necessary.

For home umpires to stand this northern summer, it will still require the agreement of both teams and the ICC Chief Executives Committee to relax regulations around the World Test Championship. There are three English umpires currently on the EUP, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough and Nigel Llong, who plus Broad, could step in.  “It is something we have considered to reduce the movement of people”, said Steve Elworthy, the EWCB’s director of operations. “If you have DRS and international level of umpires in place anyway, then it is one of those things we must consider”.

England will prioritise Test cricket and Twenty20 internationals this summer as they look to salvage something out of the wreckage of the season.  The campaign is on hold until 28 May 28 but hope is fading of any cricket before the start of July (PTG 3078-15236, 9 April 2020). Tom Harrison, the EWCB’s chief executive, has warned the game to prepare for an entire season to be wiped out.

BBCSport 06/04/2020

Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler says England could field two different teams on the same day to help maximise the amount of cricket played in a shortened summer.

All professional cricket has been suspended until at least 28 May because of the coronavirus crisis.

One way for England to maintain their schedule could be for the Test and limited-over teams to play simultaneously.

"If it was logistically possible, you would get the crowds," said Buttler.

"People will want to come because they haven't had any sport. It's a really interesting scenario."

England are due to host West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Ireland this summer.

The first Test against West Indies is due to begin on 4 June, so any extension to the current delay is likely to impact the international schedule.

Of the four touring outfits, only Pakistan are due to play both Tests and white-ball cricket, and there is enough difference between the various England teams to make fielding two separate home sides a viable option.

"Is it an option? Could you put two games on the same day? Potentially you could, in different areas," said Buttler. "It’s right that it is being considered."

He also supported the idea of matches being played behind closed doors for the benefit of a televised audience.

"Lots of us haven't watched any sport for a long time and I just feel like people would be ready to watch some," he said.

"It would be nice for people who have been in isolation and lockdown for a long time to see their heroes and role models back on the TV."

Buttler, 29, is auctioning the shirt he wore in the World Cup final to raise money for the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital.

He explained that the aunt of his wife is head of paediatrics at the hospital, and that other England players have made donations.

The auction ends on Tuesday at 19:30 GMT, with the highest bid in excess of £65,000 at 18:00 on Monday.

"It’s an amazing amount of money," said Buttler. "It’s a very special shirt, but it takes on extra meaning with it going to an emergency cause."

England-Windies Tests could be pushed back a month to July.
Simon Wilde.

The Times.

Sunday, 5 April 2020.

PTG 3074-15219.

England’s Test series with West Indies is set to be put back by a month to July and run in parallel with a one-day series against Australia as cricket administrators battle to protect the international schedule once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.  West Indies are due to play three Tests in England in the period from 4-29 June but Johnny Grave, chief executive of Cricket West Indies, says the best-case scenario is for the series to be staged in July.

“We’ve postponed all cricket in the Caribbean region until 31 May, and our best scenario is that our players start to train again and arrive in the UK at the end of June, have one warm-up game and then get in all three Tests back-to-back”, Grave said (PTG 3062-15164, 27 March 2020).  “We’re trying to remain optimistic. I’ve said to England and Wales Cricket Board [EWCB] chief executive Tom Harrison let’s keep talking. At this stage, we’re hopeful that we’d be able to keep the tour on, but it’s pragmatic to say it will happen in July rather than June. What that means to the EWCB is that they’ve got a very condensed summer internationally, but they can probably still get everything done”.

Many Caribbean islands went into lockdown last week for periods of seven to fourteen days, with airports closed along with hotels and restaurants. There have been only a few deaths due to Covid-19 and the measures are seen as precautionary to prevent the disease from being imported.  The EWCB has yet to announce a postponement of the West Indies tour, but there is little chance of it surviving in its present form as it has already suspended cricket in the UK until 28 May, only a week before the first Test at the Oval. “We’d all have to be surprised by how the world looks in two weeks for that to happen”, Grave said.

He also said national boards were co-operating to salvage what they can of this year’s schedule: “These are unprecedented times, so you’re going to do whatever you can for the survival of the professional game. I’ve spoken to EWCB, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand a few times, and the mood is very much we are in this together. We’ve got to work to find solutions and look after each other. We’re focusing very much on the plan that cricket can resume".

“It would be manageable for the world of cricket to get back on its feet fairly quickly if we can restart in July. After that would have a big impact on players, broadcasters, sponsors and governing bodies . . . everyone. A lot of players will lose a lot if the Indian Premier League doesn’t start (PTG 3070-15202, 2 April 2020).  For us, the rescheduling is manageable. We are due to host New Zealand for white-ball matches in July but they are being very supportive (PTG 3073-15215, 4 April 2020), and if world cricket needs to firstly help EWCB because they’ve got the biggest summer programme happening first, then that’s not an issue”.

Harrison said last week that the EWCB is willing to field red and white-ball teams concurrently. England are currently scheduled to play Australia in three Twenty20s International and three One Day International in the period from 3-16 July (PTG 3074-15220 below).

Aussie coach backs behind closed doors matches.

Press Association.

Sunday, 5 April 2020.

PTG 3074-15220.

Australian coach Justin Langer believes resuming cricket behind closed doors when it is safe to do so will have "great value" to the public.  Like almost the entire sporting schedule around the world, cricket has been halted by the coronavirus pandemic, with no return date set in stone.  One of the options being mooted is to have the sport resume after restrictions have been lifted but in empty stadiums.

Langer told BBC Radio: "When you started off playing cricket, when you were under age, there's no crowds there.  Maybe your mum and dad came and watched, or your brother and sister were bored and playing on the swings somewhere else.  You played it because you loved playing the game, you loved playing with your mates and you loved playing the game.  The Australian cricket team are so fortunate to play in front of big crowds every time we play.  For the love of the game, and for still being able to entertain people through TV sets or radio, then there's value in [playing behind closed doors].  Yes it's different, but we'll never, ever, ever take for granted how lucky we are ever again”.

Earlier this week England one-day captain Eoin Morgan said when asked about playing behind closed doors: “I’ve played county cricket for a long time and Test cricket in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and that’s the exact same. But from a very serious point of view, if medical experts advised us it was OK to play behind closed doors and it was on TV, I think that would be a huge step forward for the game” (PTG 3070-15204, 2 April 2020).

The Cricketer | 03/04/2020

Edgbaston Cricket Ground is to become the latest site to host a drive-through COVID-19 testing centre dedicated to NHS workers.

The longtime home of Warwickshire cricket will open its main car park "in the coming days" to allow frontline healthcare staff from across the Birmingham and West Midlands regions to have easy access to diagnostic facilities.

Tests will take place without the need for those undertaking them to leave their vehicles, with the site remaining in place for as long as it is required.

Similar centres have already been opened at an Ikea store location in north London, the headquarters of pharmacy chain Boots in Nottingham, and the Chessington World of Adventures theme park.

Neil Snowball, Warwickshire's chief executive, described the volunteering of the county's facilities as a natural course of events following the ECB's decision to postpone the start of the professional cricket season.

"With our county cricket programme and conference and events business closed until 29 May, our staff have been exploring various options which enable the club to keep supporting our local community during these difficult times," he said.

"Whilst it is a small part to play in the grand scheme of things, we are pleased that our stadium can be utilised to support the fantastic efforts being made by all of our NHS staff in response to the coronavirus crisis.

A statement from NHS England added: "The NHS and its staff are working hard and services across the country are putting in place pragmatic and safe measures to respond to the unprecedented global health threat.

"The innovative drive-through at Edgbaston Cricket Ground will ensure staff with symptoms get tested promptly so they can continue caring for patients where possible and also protect themselves, families and patients against the virus."

30/03

Lancashire chairman David Hodgkiss has died at the age of 71 after contracting coronavirus.

Hodgkiss, who had underlying health issues, took on the role in 2017 after almost two decades on the club's board.

He also had spells as treasurer and vice-chairman during his time working with the county.

"He was much loved by everyone at Lancashire and respected throughout the cricketing world," a statement on the club website said.

"Our sincere condolences and thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Colin Graves, chairman of the England & Wales Cricket Board, paid tribute by saying Hodgkiss "was a vital part of cricket in Lancashire and was passionate about growing and developing the sport in the county".

25/03

Durham CCC have closed their Riverside ground to the public and have offered the facilities there for use by the local authority and the NHS, should circumstances necessitate over the coming weeks. 

Ireland-Bangladesh series postponed.

PTG Editor.

Monday, 23 March 2020.

PTG 3059-15146.

Ireland's seven-match One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Bangladesh has become the latest casualty to be inflicted on the cricket calendar by the coronavirus pandemic.  The three ODIs in Belfast and four T20Is in England, scheduled to take place in May, have been postponed in line with British and Irish government advice against the staging of sporting events with mass gatherings and travel restrictions.

“We have a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of players, coaches, fans and the wider community, and will not hesitate to take a safety-first approach to our operations over coming months”, said Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland.  “We would like to thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for their helpful cooperation in reaching this decision, and we shall work with them at establishing new dates for the series when we are all in a position to plan for the future with greater certainty”.

20/03

• The ECB Board has agreed that no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales before May 28.
• Work has begun on possible revised schedules to begin in June, July or August.
• The ECB has worked closely with the counties, PCA and MCC with the wellbeing of the cricket family the number one priority.
• A revised schedule would prioritise delivering as much international and domestic cricket as possible

The recommendation to delay the start of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic was approved by the ECB Board following discussions with the First Class Counties, the MCC and the PCA.

It was agreed that, given the current information available, a seven-week delay to the start of the season is the most appropriate approach.

The ECB has begun modelling a range of options to start the season in June, July or August – with an immediate focus on options for cricket in June, including the three-Test series against West Indies, the Vitality Blast and England Women’s schedule against India.

Close liaison with the Government will continue, with discussions on the potential of starting the season behind closed doors and giving sports fans the opportunity to live broadcast action.

The potential for reduced versions of competitions, should the season become further truncated, will also be discussed.

17/03

The England and Wales Cricket Board will discuss the possible rescheduling of the domestic season in response to the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday.

Initial talks between counties and the ECB will take place on Tuesday in a telephone conference.

The ECB said last week all options were being looked at including postponements and playing games behind closed doors.

Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove said one contingency may be "playing no cricket at all" this season.

The 2020 County Championship is due to begin on 12 April.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised on Monday against mass gatherings in the UK amid the coronavirus outbreak - effectively cancelling all remaining sporting events.

Any proposals from the meeting on Thursday would need to be escalated to the ECB board, so no announcement of any concrete proposals is expected until the end of the week at the earliest. BBCSport

Alex Hales and half a dozen Surrey players are self isolating - that should keep 'im out of trouble this year eh!

16/03

New Zealand's first class competition, Plunkett Shield, has been cancelled. 

South Africa suspend all cricket.

Leicestershire will not be traveling to Spain for pre-season.

15/03

Same as Derbyshire, Durham have decided to abandon their tour of Zimbabwe.

14/03


Derbyshire have abandoned their trip to Zimbabwe (a country with 0 confirmed cases of COVID-19) to fly back to England on Monday where its ...

New Zealand cricketers flee Australia, abandoning their tour, to return home before New Zealand goes into lock-down.

13/03

Sussex have postponed their AGM which was due on 21st March. 
England have abandoned their tour of Sri Lanka. 
Alex Hales has jumped ship in Karachi and had decided to return to the epicentre of the Coronavirus Pandemic (Europe), after Pakistan announces it is to close its borders and shortened the PSL.
India has put the IPL back two and half weeks.
Essex v MCC in Sri Lanka - axed!

12/03

Nottinghamshire have announced that the 3 days of friendly warm-up cricket against Northamptonshire has now been scrapped. Northants are expecting to be in quarantine following a visit to Singapore.

To replace this, three days of friendly warm-up cricket with Lancashire has been arranged, commensing play at 11 AM 30th March at Trent Bridge. Lancashire have pull-out of visits to UAE and South Africa.

It has not been stated if this is due in anyway to the current hysteria or not; or if current stocks of toilet rolls at Trent Bridge remain at comparable levels to previous seasons.