Plan formed to save Australia’s ODI and T20 tour of England despite coronavirus crisis

Despite the UK’s bleak coronavirus battle, plans have been drawn up to delay rather than cancel Australia’s proposed white ball tour, with August or September the likely revised schedule.

Aaron Finch’s ODI and T20 sides are still a chance to tour England later this year.

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Australia is still a chance to play international cricket in England this year, despite the United Kingdom’s battle with coronavirus.

The Aussies were due to play three Twenty20 matches and three one-dayers across the UK in July.

But the UK has become the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe with more than 30,000 deaths and tough lockdown restrictions remain in place.

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Aaron Finch’s ODI and T20 sides are still a chance to tour England later this year.

News Corp Australia understands that plans have been drawn up to delay the matches until August, or potentially September, to get some cricket played.

The games would be without fans but they could be crunched together if required because they were only short-form matches.

Broadcasters who have been bleeding subscribers since the global shutdown of sport were still interested in getting the matches on air.

There were plans to move the games to Old Trafford in Manchester, or the Ageas Bowl in Hampshire.

Both grounds have a Hilton branded hotel on site, which would make them “biosecure”.

It was understood that player safety was paramount, with any games requiring the agreement of both the England and Australian teams.

The UK was set to announce 14-day travel quarantines for anyone arriving in the country, but details of that have yet to be finalised.

It was expected that a deal may be able to be done for an exception for the Australian players and their staff.

Southampton’s Ageas Bowl is viewed as a possible “biosecure” venue.

The UK eased its exercise bans this week, allowing people to meet up at parks as long as they kept two metres apart.

That gave some hope for English players to start training with a partner as they work to get back on the pitch.

England was also due to play three Test matches against West Indies in June, and a Test and one-day series against Pakistan in August.

However no cricket will be played in the UK until July 1.

Ricket Skerritt, president of the Cricket West Indies, has told a radio station in Trinidad that he would send a full team if the games were scheduled.

An ECB statement said it was still working through the UK government’s announcements at the weekend.

“The ECB will monitor government guidance and continue its planning accordingly,” the statement said.

“If and when appropriate, we will announce our return to training protocols in due course, which will incorporate the implementation of core training principles for our elite players.”

The ECB declined to comment when asked about the Australian fixtures.

Australia was listed to play its first match at Durham on July 3, with matches also scheduled for Old Trafford, Headingley, Lord’s, the Ageas Bowl in Hampshire and Bristol.

Originally published as Plan formed to save Australia’s ODI and T20 tour of England despite coronavirus crisis