NZ Board is also willing to host English summer: White

ISLAMABAD: New Zealand Cricket Board has also offered England and Wales Board (ECB) all the possible assistance including their grounds in coming winters as it faces the possibility of wipeout this summer because of Coronavirus.

The Chief Executive of the NZ Board Davis White told an England based newspaper Daily Mail; “We really feel for the ECB right now, given the disruption to the season and we are wanting to help any way we can.”

The ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison also revealed that NZ Board officials had been very generous in offering all kind of assistance to hold part of the England summer’s domestic and international commitment in case of total wipeout of cricket because of COVID-19 outbreak.

Besides, New Zealand, Cricket Australia (CA) officials are also in touch with the ECB on the possibility of using Australian grounds as alternate in case of no cricket during English summer.

“I am in constant touch with Tom and have communicated that offer to him, should it become possible at our end. We are part of global cricket family and we need to support each other,” White said. New Zealand is one country that has successfully staved of the pandemic, suffering only 18 deaths so far.

This initial offer to ECB on behalf of NZ Board is not specific to any form of the game but it is understood that the in case a complete barren English summer 2020, the home matches including some domestic and part of international could well be hosted in New Zealand provided the pandemic slows or dies down till September where there are chances that a vaccine might come into play. The ECB has already put back the start of summer from late May to July 1 and that too if the situation improves drastically over the next two months-the possibility is which is almost remote.

Only the other day UAE Cricket Board had offered hosting English summer matches in winter-a proposal that was backed and supported by the two leading England batsmen Jason Roy and Zak Crawley. Both agreed that they would have no problems if they were asked to play at the UAE venues where Pakistan had been hosting their home series since 2009.

From Pakistan prospective, English summer 2020 holds importance as the team was scheduled to play Test and T20 series. West Indies are also scheduled to play Test series at the start of English summer that should have been in full flow right now.