“The reality is that it is a huge financial challenge for a lot of cricket boards to still run without any revenue coming in from games,” Neesham said.
Birmingham: New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham in action during the 33nd match of 2019 World Cup between New Zealand and Pakistan at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, England on June 26, 2019. (Photo Credit: Twitter/@cricketworldcup)
New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham feels that players may have to get used to playing in empty stadiums if that is the only way cricket can return to the field in the near future.
With the coronavirus pandemic raging across the world, a return to action for the sport looks unlikely any time soon and this has also brought the men’s T20 World Cup under a cloud of uncertainty.
“Certainly all things considered you would rather have fans in the ground,” Neesham told ESPNCricinfo. “It adds a lot to the game and to the spectacle. But you want to adapt to the situation that is given to you.
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“If the situation is that the only way to play cricket is behind closed doors then I think it is something that we have to adapt to as players,” he said.
A number of cricket boards, including the influential England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA), have felt the strain due to the unexpected stoppage of the cricket calendar. Cricket Australia had announced retrenchment of 80 per cent of its staff in April.
“The reality is that it is a huge financial challenge for a lot of cricket boards to still run without any revenue coming in from games,” Neesham said.
“So obviously we want to try and keep the sport in as good a state as it can be in. If that means playing games behind closed doors, the guys just need to suck it up and get it done.”
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