Locked-down, locked-in Tests

By Stephan Shemilt

BBC Sport

Discussions around rescheduling West Indies' tour of England have included the possibility of the visitors going into isolation for as long as 14 days.

The three-Test series was due to begin in June, but the shutdown of cricket in England and Wales has been extended until at least 1 July.

The earliest date the first Test could begin is thought to be 8 July.

If the Windies are in isolation, they are likely to have access to practice facilities at a locked-down venue.

BBC Sport understands the visitors' planning involves leaving the Caribbean in mid-June, allowing enough time for any period of isolation, followed by practice matches.

The length of the isolation is another part of the discussions, with 14 days one of the options.

As it stands, there are no restrictions placed on overseas travellers arriving in the UK.

However, on Sunday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC plans for screening and quarantining people coming from abroad were "a serious point under consideration".

On Saturday, the England and Wales Cricket Board said "positive" discussions had been held with Cricket West Indies over a revised schedule for the tour.

Any cricket that does take place this summer is likely to be behind closed doors, perhaps in a "bio-secure" environment.

Even then, the staging of matches and the ability of overseas teams to play in the UK will be determined by government guidelines.

Australia, Pakistan and Ireland are also due to tour England this summer.

The ECB has previously stated it is looking at rescheduling the international calendar for the period between July and the end of September.

England home internationals on the cards, domestic games unlikely.
Nick Hoult.
London Daily Telegraph.
Saturday, 2 May 2020.

PTG 3108-15373.

England’s Test side are working towards early July to return to action but it looks increasingly likely that no domestic cricket will be played this UK summer unless the government allows gatherings of up to 500 people. England will play three Tests against West Indies and it is understood they are planning to restart behind closed doors on July 8, which is exactly a week after the current suspension of the season ends (PTG 3097-15321, 24 April 2020). It would give the players seven days to play a warm-up match of some kind before international cricket resumes.

England are hopeful of starting the three Test series against Pakistan on August 5 in a revised summer schedule currently being finalised. The England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB) is planning for Australia to arrive in September for three One Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals that were originally scheduled for June-July. All plans are subject to change and can only go ahead if the UK government gives its permission for sport to resume in controlled ‘biosecure’ environments. It also requires governments overseas to authorise their players to travel.

“We are hoping that over the next three months things will improve substantially and any sort of restrictions reduced to a level that is workable”, said Wasim Khan, chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board. “Month by month we will get a better idea of what plans are in place so we can reassure and advise our players to make sure they are comfortable [playing in England]”. Pakistan plan to arrive in England in the last week of July to acclimatise to conditions and have stated they need a minimum of three days' break between each Test.

For domestic cricket in England and Wales though the outlook is bleak. The obstacles to staging county cricket are regarded as considerably greater than for international matches. The provision of enough ‘biosecure’ grounds is viewed as logistically impossible for 18 county sides as well as international touring teams and England. The costs involved would also be prohibitive. England are only playing behind closed doors to salvage money from the broadcast deal with broadcasters Sky and BBC. Around 24 T20 Blast matches are screened by Sky but if the tournament does not take place it will be fairly straightforward to make up for those lost games over the remaining four years of the broadcast deal.

“We have to hope we move into a phase B”, said one county chief executive. “Phase A is putting on internationals behind closed doors. Phase B is being able to host matches with mass gatherings of up to 500 allowed. That would mean we do not have to create a biosecure environment, just limit the number of people in the ground. That is easier to achieve and possibly cost effective”.

The T20 Blast competition generates around 90 per cent of all cricket income for counties and will be put back in the schedule for as long as possible to allow time for social distancing measures to be eased. The competition is played in two groups of nine teams - comprising a north group and a south group. The regional nature of the groups reduces travel demands on teams, but the sheer volume of matches increases the risk of transmission.

The Cricketer | 30/04/2020 at 15:13

If professional cricket is to be played at some stage during the summer, it is almost certain that it will be played behind closed doors, believes Tom Harrison.

Speaking on the Sky Cricket Show, the ECB chief executive explained that, given the coronavirus pandemic and the government’s emphasis on social distancing, playing games in empty stadia “is probably our only option this year, with respect to putting cricket on”.

It has already been confirmed that no professional cricket will be played ahead of July 1 at the earliest, while it was announced on Thursday that the launch of The Hundred would be postponed until 2021.

Global travel restrictions mean many international players are expected to be unavailable should there be enough time in the season to stage the competition, somewhat diluting the spectacle, and the ECB is understood to be focusing on staging international cricket and potentially a version of the T20 Blast, as it looks to satisfy at least some of the demands of its broadcast contracts.

There remains a very real possibility that no cricket will be possible whatsoever this summer, and any that does take place will do so behind closed doors - an outcome which the ECB said "directly contradicts the competition's goal to attract a broader audience".

Harrison said: “I think people are now understanding that it is behind closed doors – that is probably our only option this year, with respect to putting cricket on.

“I think the thought of returning to a scenario where we have crowds watching live cricket in this country this summer is not something that is realistic in the context of the public health crisis that we’re going through.

“Having said all that, all the right conversations are going on with government – and they need to be with government guidelines across the whole sports sector that give us the right guidelines to ensure that we can keep people safe. That is our number one priority through this crisis – and it’s how we’re dealing with everything. Those priorities are public safety and making sure our players, our staff, our management are all safe and well throughout this crisis.

“Secondly, to ensure that we’re keeping the lights on through the county game and we’re doing whatever we can to work in partnership with the counties to help them through some very, very difficult financial times.”

On Thursday, England allrounder Moeen Ali, who played in empty grounds during the latter stages of the Pakistan Super League as the Covid-19 outbreak worsened, admitted that the lack of atmosphere posed challenges to players.

“For players who are used to playing in front of big crowds – and in the PSL in particular, there were such big crowds – you’ve gone from one extreme to no one there watching,” he reflected.

“It was very difficult to get yourself up for the game. I don’t know what it what it would be like in an international game but it was so different. It felt like those warm-up games you play before a big series. It’s not ideal. Not everybody wants to play in an empty stadium. But it will probably have to be the case for a while. It was actually very difficult to play in an empty stadium.”

Dubai Joins The "Race"

ESPNcricinfo staff

Dubai has emerged as the latest overseas venue that could host games to help salvage some cricket in the English season.

Last week, ESPNcricinfo revealed that Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) was set to offer its facilities to the ECB for use between October and January, with all professional cricket in England and Wales suspended until July 1 at the earliest. Tom Harrison, the ECB's chief executive, said on Friday that there had been "offers from multiple boards… as far away as New Zealand and Australia".

And Dubai has now thrown its hat into the ring to host games, as Salman Hanif, the head of cricket at Dubai Sports City (DSC), suggested he would "definitely be keen" to host whatever fixtures were on the table, whether internationals or county games.

Restrictions have started to lift in the UAE following a strict curfew, and it would seem that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic has been avoided there with 89 deaths reported to date. Malls have begun to re-open across the country, while the conditions of the lockdown have been loosened.

"If anything comes up - any bilateral series, or tournament - that has to be rescheduled, UAE would definitely be keen to host any of them," Hanif told the National. "It is still too early to plan, but if there is anything such as that being considered by the ECB, we would be more than happy to host them.

"We have hosted them in the past, and we would certainly offer the best of support, facilities and everything again. Outside of full member countries, UAE has the best cricket facilities, infrastructure, management support, and support for cricket organisations. We have proved that in the past. If anything comes up, I think UAE would be considered at the forefront."

There are three grounds at Dubai Sports City: the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where England have played 12 times against Pakistan across all three formats, and two pitches at the ICC Academy which have regularly hosted pre-season county fixtures.

The ECB has repeatedly stated its intention to stage cricket in England and Wales this summer, with internationals and the T20 Blast prioritised as the most lucrative forms of the game. Harrison said last week that the ECB was "starting to get comfortable with the idea there won't be crowds this summer", suggesting that revenue from ticket sales would not be a major consideration.


Richard Thompson, Surrey's chairman, said last week that staging games overseas "has to be considered" but raised the "significant cost" of flying whole squads abroad as a drawback.

"Broadcasters are crucial to this," he said. "No governing body wants to breach an agreement with the broadcasters, so as long as it can deliver the product, it doesn't matter where it delivers it from." It appears that offers to play games overseas remain at a very early stage.

Last week, David White, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, told the Mail on Sunday: "We really feel for the ECB right now, given the disruption to their season, and are wanting to help in any way we can.

"I'm in constant contact with Tom [Harrison] and have communicated that offer to him, should it become possible at our end. We're part of a global cricket family, and we need to support each other."

Michael Vaughan: ECB should consider scrapping overseas players to save money

BBCSport

The England and Wales Cricket Board should consider temporarily scrapping overseas players in the County Championship to cut costs, says former England captain Michael Vaughan.

There will be no cricket in England or Wales before at least 1 July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, a report from a financial advisory firm said counties face a loss of £85m if the entire season is lost.

"You have to look at every area where you can save a few quid," said Vaughan.

"Traditionalists will go mad at this, but these are unprecedented times.

"In the next two years, could you look at not having overseas players for the four-day game?"

Several counties have cancelled deals for overseas players in 2020, or postponed them until 2021.

Vaughan, who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests, also suggested a temporary reduction in the number of Championship matches played.

Speaking on the Tuffers and Vaughan Show on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "Four-day cricket costs the game.

"I'm a die-hard four-day and five-day player. It is a cost to the game that could, just for a couple of years, be worth reducing.

"If you reduced it from 14 to 10 games, you'd miss the games but I don't think it would be a huge problem for a couple of years. You could go back to that in two or three years."

The Championship is set to be reduced this summer and may even be replaced with another first-class competition in what will be a truncated season.

Vaughan said overseas players should still be permitted in the T20 Blast and The Hundred.

The new 100-ball competition was due to launch this year, but is likely to be postponed at an ECB board meeting on Wednesday.

Counties 'face £85m revenue loss' if no 2020 season, says new report

BBCSport

Counties are facing an £85m loss of revenue if "the very real possibility" of no cricket this summer becomes a reality, according to a new report.

Financial advisory firm Oakwell Sports says counties are "overly reliant" on England and Wales Cricket Board grants.

"Covid-19 will make a bad situation worse for first-class counties," the report adds.

And it warns that a postponement of the first season of The Hundred until 2021 is "very likely".

The ECB, which has already pledged £40m to support counties, has been forced to delay the start of the 2020 campaign until at least 1 July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hundred 'needs private investors'

The Hundred, featuring men's and women's city-based teams, is due to begin just 16 days later, and the English game's governing body has yet to make a decision on whether the competition should go ahead this year.

If it is put back to 2021, it will make its debut in a year also now set to feature Euro 2021 and the Tokyo Olympics, which have also been postponed.

The Oakwell report urges the ECB to consider converting its revenue distributions into equity stakes, which would allow for potential private investment which would, in turn, "help counties fund the overall game".

It says The Hundred "needs to be able to attract Indian players and subsequently an Indian fan base too" as 90% of the one billion cricket followers around the world are from the sub-continent.

No Indian players were part of the draft for The Hundred last October.

ECB officials will meet on Wednesday and are continuing to look at ways of ensuring cricket remains part of this summer's sporting schedule, including the possibility of staging games overseas.

Oakwell Sports says, however, that if there is a total cancellation of the season, counties would miss out on income from matchdays, conferences and other events, resulting in a combined revenue loss of £85m.

'ECB grants prevent insolvency'

Using data from 16 of the 18 counties, the report shows Warwickshire receive only 6% of their total revenue from the ECB, while Worcestershire (53%) and Leicestershire (61%) have the highest grant percentages.

However, the report states: "Cancellation of the entire English cricketing summer will create significant cashflow problems for smaller first-class counties, but there are more significant impacts to 'bigger' counties both in the short and long-term."

And it claims: "Without the ECB grants, the majority of first-class counties would be financially insolvent.

"Although Test match venues are less reliant on ECB grant income to remain solvent, they have strong non-cricket business that will be directly impacted by Covid-19."

Unlike the Football Association and Rugby Football Union, the ECB funds professional clubs as well as the international and recreational game.

"By having less than 18 counties, or by having a structure whereby counties were privately owned, the ECB would be able to create a more self-sufficient, sustainable county system," the report says.

If, however, 18 county clubs are to remain, Oakwell recommends looking into the creation of an 'ECB Bank' as a potential way of funding them in the future.

It says "creating a dedicated internal lending bank controlled by the ECB" would provide "competitive funding solutions for all member counties on a sustainable basis" and promote "equality and stability in the county system at low financial risk".