In a recent development, the Indian women cricket team’s tour of England, originally scheduled to begin on 25 June, has been suspended as of now after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday that no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales until 1 July in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Notably, the Indian women’s team were scheduled to play four ODIs and a couple of T20 Internationals on this scheduled tour that would have ended on 9 July.
While Taunton was the venue for the T20Is, Worcester, Chelmsford, Canterbury, and Hove were the venues for the four ODIs.
“As much as we remain hopeful that we can deliver some cricket this summer, we are in the midst of a worldwide crisis and our priority — over and above the playing of the professional sport — will be to protect the vulnerable, key workers and society as a whole over,” said ECB CEO Tom Harrison as quoted by IANS.
“That’s why, simply put, there will be no cricket unless it’s safe to play. Our schedule will only go ahead if government guidance permits.
“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. The guidance we receive from Westminster will help us shape how we deliver this.
“Our plan is to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance of play. The Vitality Blast will also now occupy the latest possible season slot to offer as much time as possible to play a County short-form competition,” he added