[REPORTS] Pakistan ready to tour England this summer

[HitWicket]

Incorrect. ECB want the Pakistan squad to arrive in England at the beginning of July.

Is a month of preparation (even if 14 days have to be without opposition) really necessary?

 

[TalhaSyed]

6 weeks is a long way away.

Sure - COVID may be more prominent in the UK than in other countries, however, unfortunately Pakistan is not immune from the virus either with 42,000 cases and almost 1000 deaths. And those are just the official numbers. If the UK is struggling so much to keep track of the actual number of deaths, then countries like Pakistan will also be struggling - if not more - to keep records straight, so who knows what the actual number is in Pakistan.

My point is these players can get COVID in Pakistan just as they can get it in the UK. Every measure to reduce the risk of this happening should be excercised, however, I would argue that the players would be safer on tour in the UK then they would be in Pakistan.

In the UK they will be kept in isolation, under constant medical surveillance and travelling exclusively in chartered flights and transport. Now these measures don't reduce the risk to 0%, however, the risk does reduce significantly compared to the players going about their average day to day lives in Pakistan.

On the other hand the people who still remain at risk are the people who are forced to return to work due to these matches and expose themselves e.g. journalists, hotel staff, ground staff, broadcasters etc. However, BoJo and his gov have made clear that they want to try and get people back to work and get the economy moving ASAP so - whether right or wrong - those individuals should be expecting to return to work sooner or later regardless of whether Pakistan tour or not, just like the rest of the British work force.

 

[Bewal Express]

And the point still stands that over 34,000 people have died in the UK. This number is probably a lot higher according to some media and politicians and medics.

Most of The people that have died are either old, or with pre existing conditions. If the players are worried then they shouldnt come. Are the PK players at any greater risk than the England players? No is the simple answer. PK has to build bridges, if we don't someone else will. Do you that someone like NZ or even Ind wouldn't come to England? No chance. The risk factor will remain for years to come and the players will have to factor that in when they decide. No player should be penalised for not coming but if they don't come others will take their opportunity and make names for themselves.

 

[Saj]

Most of The people that have died are either old, or with pre existing conditions. If the players are worried then they shouldnt come. Are the PK players at any greater risk than the England players? No is the simple answer. PK has to build bridges, if we don't someone else will. Do you that someone like NZ or even Ind wouldn't come to England? No chance. The risk factor will remain for years to come and the players will have to factor that in when they decide. No player should be penalised for not coming but if they don't come others will take their opportunity and make names for themselves.

The key word being most.

Building bridges should not come at the expense of exposing yourself to a killer virus.

I hope the tour happens, but not at the expense of player's lives and health.

 

[Bewal Express]

The key word being most.

Building bridges should not come at the expense of exposing yourself to a killer virus.

I hope the tour happens, but not at the expense of player's lives and health.

They don't have to come. They can opt out. Let players that want to come, and leave at home those guys that say it's not for them. For the next few years this is the new norm.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Good news the team wants to tour, our test record in london is pretty good, so lets hope we can get all 3 tests there.

 

[MenInG]

The coronavirus has left the English cricket season in limbo but Lancashire were dealt a devastating personal blow when they lost their chairperson, David Hodgkiss.

Just weeks later the Manchester-based county have returned record financial results - a fitting legacy for Hodgkiss, who died in late March at the age of 71 after contracting the virus.

And they have put themselves in the frame to host Tests during the English summer.

Lancashire, who chose not to follow other counties in furloughing players during the Covid-19 crisis, have announced their highest-ever annual turnover of £34 million.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) for the Red Rose county in 2019 were £7.6 million, a 10-fold increase since 2015 and a record for a first-class county.

"Excluding minority interests and one-off legacies it is absolutely a record," CEO Daniel Gidney told AFP. "It's a very proud day for the club.

"A hundred percent it is David's legacy. He was a mentor, a friend as well as a boss. With his construction background, without him the £60 million redevelopment (of the ground) would not have happened.

"The board was the driving force but he was the centre of that.

"For me a business problem to solve is like any other problem such as a recession but when you lose a friend it is an emotional kick in the gut."

Test hosts?

Gidney said Lancashire, with a Hilton hotel on the site of their Old Trafford ground, were still in a position to host Tests this year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hope they can kick-start a season delayed by the coronavirus by rescheduling the three-Test series between England and the West Indies that was meant to take place in June, in July.

Australia and Pakistan are also scheduled to tour England in the coming months.

Old Trafford was originally due to host the second Test against Pakistan, which was scheduled to start on 7 August.

Should the current lockdown be relaxed sufficiently to allow cricket to go ahead, Tests could be played behind closed doors at "bio-secure" grounds with on-site accommodation such as Old Trafford.

That would allow players and officials to be monitored while restricting their access to the outside world.

"We have made a formal expression of interest to the ECB," said Gidney. "We believe we have the capability, the experience and facilities on site in supporting them put on a bio-secure event."

Lancashire are also thinking big for when cricket can return in earnest - including plans to promote themselves in the game's biggest market.

"David's legacy is to complete the ground redevelopment, a new stand, another hotel and work with the local authority on a leisure centre," said Gidney.


"We also decided after last year's World Cup match between India and Pakistan to look east and an Indian growth strategy - to make Lancashire the second Indian team so if the fan say supports Mumbai Indians then their English team is us.

"We are looking at both building the fanbase and players playing for Lancashire.

"The objective is definitely getting more Asian voices involved in English cricket - it can only be a good thing for the game."

https://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/l...-crisis-as-they-post-strong-earnings-20200519

 

[aloo paratha]

No idea where you are getting 2 months from.

ECB want Pakistan in England at the start of July.

West indies have to play first.

 

[aloo paratha]

England will be in decline in terms of cases by late July/early August, players will be quarantined for 2 weeks before the tour begins, the hotels are connected to the grounds. I don't see how anything can go wrong.

 

[Saj]

They don't have to come. They can opt out. Let players that want to come, and leave at home those guys that say it's not for them. For the next few years this is the new norm.

I don't think you are getting it.

It's obvious nobody has to come.

The concern many have is, they travel, come to England and contract Covid19......

 

[Saj]

West indies have to play first.

And?
Still makes no difference to ECB wanting Pakistan in England by early July.

 

[Savak]

I don't think you are getting it.

It's obvious nobody has to come.

The concern many have is, they travel, come to England and contract Covid19......

The boards need to have a contingency plan. It is foolish to expect players to play cricket and turn up in england and not contract Covid 19

 

[Saj]

The boards need to have a contingency plan. It is foolish to expect players to play cricket and turn up in england and not contract Covid 19

Exactly.

It has to be totally risk-free, with no chances taken at all.

 

[Bewal Express]

I don't think you are getting it.

It's obvious nobody has to come.

The concern many have is, they travel, come to England and contract Covid19......

Bhai, these players will come. Each and every one of them will come.