UK government allows recreational cricket to return from next weekend: ECB

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday confirmed that the UK government has given their permission for recreational cricket to recommence from next weekend.

The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying: “We are delighted that the UK Government have given their permission for recreational cricket to return from next weekend.

“We will shortly be publishing our approved guidelines to help clubs and players prepare for cricket’s return.”

We are delighted that the UK Government have given their permission for recreational cricket to return from next weekend. We will shortly be publishing our approved guidelines to help clubs and players prepare for cricket’s return.

— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) July 3, 2020

This development comes after Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that his government would also publish guidelines next week for how amateur cricket matches – a traditional feature of British summertime – can start up again.

“We will be publishing guidelines in the next few days so that cricket can resume in time for next weekend,” he said.

While professional cricket has already been given the green light to restart, government advisors have been worried that the balls used in the sport could act as a vector for spreading the coronavirus.

England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, provided a glimpse of what the new guidelines for amateur games would look like.

“Providing people don’t do things that are clearly not sensible, ranging from hugging the bowler if they’ve just bowled someone for a duck through to spitting on the ball, it should be possible,” he said.

The ECB has previously aimed to bring back the club game “on or around July 4”, the date of pubs, restaurants, cinemas, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and other facilities reopening following the coronavirus pandemic.