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Updated June 1st, 2020 at 16:33 IST

England set to resume international cricket at home after UK govt's permission: Report

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have welcomed the government’s decision to allow the resumption of sporting activities in the country behind closed doors.

Reported by: Jatin Malu
England
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have welcomed the UK Government’s decision to allow the resumption of sporting activities in the country behind closed doors. The British government confirmed that domestic cricket and other activities related to sports will resume from next week after the publication of health and safety guidelines have been laid to prevent the further escalation of coronavirus in the country.

ALSO READ | UK lockdown: England all-rounder Ben Stokes questions MS Dhoni's intent, Virat Kohli's comments post 2019 World Cup match

England government allows ECB to resume cricketing action behind closed doors

The ECB will now analyse the document to learn how it can help the process of commencing cricket during the current summer. The government’s decision to resume sporting activities come two days after the ECB suspended the domestic season till August 1. According to AFP, an ECB statement said that they are extremely heartened by Saturday’s announcement from the Secretary of State, which supported the return of professional, domestic cricket behind closed doors and provided a meaningful next step for recreational players to begin playing at their clubs again.

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The statement further said that over the coming week, they will seek to understand the specific guidance from the government’s medical teams so that they can provide support for cricket clubs, who will be eager to see their communities safely playing in small groups. The recent development has given a huge boost to the ECB, who are looking to start international cricket from July by hosting West Indies and Pakistan for Test matches at two bio-secure centres in Southampton and Manchester.

ALSO READ | UK lockdown: England's Ben Stokes to run half marathon to raise funds for health workers

ECB asked 55 players to resume training after anticipating resumption of cricket

England's ODI skipper Eoin Morgan and the pace duo of James Anderson and Jofra Archer were among 55 England players who had been asked to resume outdoor training to prepare for cricket behind close doors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The ECB had added 37 names to the list after 18 bowlers resumed individual training last week, focus on Test cricket.

Liam Plunkett, Alex Hales, and Joe Clarke were some big names who did not feature in the 55-man list for the time being. Other big names who had been asked to resume training included Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, David Willey, and Sam Billings among others. The ECB also confirmed that the players had been asked to return to training, "as England men prepared for the prospect of behind-closed-doors cricket, subject to UK Government clearance."

ALSO READ | UK lockdown: Test cricket needs to stay as it is, could become 'easy cricket' if changed says England's Ben Stokes

IMAGE COURTESY: ECB INSTAGRAM

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Published June 1st, 2020 at 16:33 IST

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