The Indian women team’s tour of England, starting June 25, has been postponed temporarily as the ECB on Friday suspended all forms of professional cricket in the country until at least July 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indian women were supposed to play four ODIs and two T20 Internationals during their short two-week trip that would have ended on July 9.
India were supposed to play T20Is at Taunton and Bristol apart from four ODIs in Worcester, Chelmsford, Canterbury and Hove.
The ECB clarified that nine rounds of fixtures will be lost in the County Championship season but “blocks for red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket will be held in a revised schedule”.
“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 professional sport—will be to protect the vulnerable, key workers and society as a whole,” Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said.
“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. International cricket, featuring England men’s and women’s teams, will look to be scheduled from July until the end of September, with the West Indies Test Series and the whole women’s series against India (Vitality IT20s and Royal London ODIs) both moving from their original slots.”
“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,” Harrison added.
“Our role as a national governing body during a crisis of this scale requires us to carefully plan alongside cricket’s stakeholders and supporters to attempt to overcome COVID-19’s impact on this season,” he said.
An additional Board meeting will be scheduled next Wednesday on The Hundred, following a request to dedicate a further session to the competition.
