Woodster
International Captain
Yes in NZ you’re certainly in a much better position than we are over here and much more likely to see some club cricket this year. Yes it’s a pretty glum outlook over here at the moment in terms of actually getting any club cricket in (even county cricket for that matter), but I think the general mindset is that everyone wants it back but safety has to be of paramount importance and I can’t see any guarantees of that in the near to medium future.Bearing in mind that our season returns in October, yep absolutely. We're moving through a levels system and are about to move to level 2, which allows for community sport to go ahead. Basically anything going ahead now can be done as long as they can contact trace - the ability to know where the virus came from if someone happened to get it. So they're keeping groups smaller in restaurants, bars, all those sorts of things, things like community sport can be done because you know the names of the people playing. But with big crowds you wouldn't.
Community sport is going ahead with contact sports like rugby, football etc so I see no reason cricket wouldn't. In terms of changes to the structure? I guess the only one would be around distancing in the changing rooms, operating the bar/food the same as the provisions for hospitality are to the general public and so on. And I think the ICC or whoever are coming up with guidelines around the ball? No shining or whatever it may be?
As Australia have done well with the virus and parts of their country play cricket in the winter months, I guess we'll have the luxury of seeing how they handle it first.
But yeah, I feel genuinely sorry for the UK if they're not getting to play club cricket this summer. The winter months have been robbed of football, and now there's nothing else particularly to look forward to in a bleak time of life. The thought of the old Common I used to play on lying dormant all summer is actually bloody sad. Usually such a hive of fun and activity, a real community binder.
As of tomorrow we can exercise or play golf with one member of another household, I think that may also include having a net with someone but I think that may require further confirmation from the ECB and come down to each club’s take on the matter.