ECB to spend around half a million pounds to fly Pakistan team to England on a chartered plane

With the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) becoming the first team to restart cricket, there is a lot that the board might have to spend. There are reports that ECB might have to spend around half a million pounds to just fly the Pakistan cricket team just to England. The team is scheduled to play three Tests and as many T20Is in the month of August. The team will be travelling on a chartered flight.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had planned to send the team for England in the first week of July. However, the date was pushed back after the planned training camp was cancelled. It was supposed to be held in Lahore but it was cancelled with the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

Pakistan’s England tour worth around £70m and £75m to the ECB in broadcast revenue

The plans now seem to suggest that the team with 29 members and the support staff will fly to England early. According to Cricket Pakistan, the ECB’s chartered plane will take off from Pakistan between June 26 and 29. This extra time will help Pakistan prepare for the series in a better way.

Pakistan’s tour of England will also be played behind the closed doors. The West Indies have already arrived in England to play their three Test matches in July. Reports further suggest that Pakistan’s tour of England is worth around £70m and £75m to the ECB in broadcast revenue, which is why the £500,000 for chartered flight is a manageable expense.

PCB recently announced an entire squad of 29 players who will be touring England for the Tests and T20Is. On their arrival in England, the players will remain in quarantine for a two-week period in Birmingham. After that, the team will move to Manchester for the first Test on August 5. The second and third Tests will be played at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton. The three T20Is will be played between August 28 and September 1.

Trying to salvage lucrative men’s internationals is the priority for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), with chief executive Tom Harrison warning a complete wipeout of the 2020 season could cost the governing body £380 million ($469 million).