ECB announces there won't be any professional cricket in England until July 1

The coronavirus pandemic has caused large effects on society. All over the world, the pandemic has resulted in bringing everyone to a standstill. The United Kingdom is one of the most affected countries in the world right now. At the time of writing this, there are more than 1.3 lakh people who have been tested positive with COVID-19 in the UK.

Due to the early scares of coronavirus, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had announced there won’t be any official match in the country until May 29. However, the ECB announced on Friday that there won’t be any professional cricket for another match. The lockdown on cricket has now been extended till July 1.

Due to this, the Test series between England and West Indies has now also been postponed. The India women’s white-ball tour has also been postponed for now. ECB released a statement in which the board clarified that they are trying to find a way to reschedule the matches which will be lost.

Matches to get a revised schedule, clarifies ECB

“The season remains subject to ongoing advice from Government and health experts, and continued consultation with all broadcast partners to determine the optimal way to fulfil fixtures both domestically and internationally,” the statement by ECB said.

By the time July starts, nine rounds of the county championship would have already been done. All these matches will surely get a revised schedule, as per the reports by ECB. The English board also revealed its plan to have the Vitality T20 blast late in the season. The English cricket summer generally gets extended till September or October.

“Our plan is to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance to play. The Vitality blast will also now occupy the latest possible season slot to offer as much as time possible to play county short-format competition” the statement by ECB revealed.

An additional meeting will be held by the ECB to decide on the future of The Hundred tournament. The inaugural season was supposed to be held of the very special tournament with a new format in place.

“Our biggest challenge, along with other sports, is how we could seek to implement a biosecure solution that offers optimal safety and security for all concerned. The guidance we receive from Westminster will help us shape how we deliver this” the statement said.