Pak tour to England now likely in August

ISLAMABAD: There are strong indications that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) might reschedule Pakistan’s Test series in August — provided Covid-19’s threat eases up — instead of July with the first Test from August 5 behind closed doors.

The ECB officials are set to meet with their government officials in a fortnight to decide the future course of action regarding the international summer season.

The fresh plan prepared for the international commitments in England reveals that action will start against West Indies from July 8.

The new schedule could only be followed if the England government considers it safe to host international matches. “All this is only possible if we see a sharp decrease in the Covid-19 cases. I hope things will be much clearer in a month’s time,” ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison said in a television interview.

With The Hundred delayed by a year, Harrison admitted that empty grounds were the “only option” if the sport can somehow begin this summer.

Speaking to Sky’s Cricket Show, Harrison said: “I think people can understand that action behind closed doors is the only option for us this year. The idea of gathering crowds this summer is not realistic in the context of public health crisis.”

He, however, hoped that the T20 Blast and international cricket would be possible in England if the government gives a green signal.

However, he admitted that changes were a must and there is a possibility of reshuffling the entire schedule with the changing scenario.

The England government has already announced conducting over 125,000 tests per day with a hope that in a couple of months everyone in England would be knowing his/her health status.

When ‘The News’ approached the Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman to know whether it has been intimated about the changes in the schedule, he said the ECB has not yet contacted Pakistan regarding any change in the schedule. “The ECB would have been considering different options amid Covid-19 threats but we have not been contacted as yet,” he said.