COVID-19: CWI identifies 30 players as part of preparations for England tour
May 17, 2020
St John's [Antigua], May 17 : Cricket West Indies (CWI) has identified 30 players as part of the preparations for the tour of England in the month of July, confirmed CWI's CEO Johnny Grave.
However, Grave has clarified that this is not the official West Indies squad for the three-match Test series against England.
The list of 30 players is to help CWI's Cricket Operations and Medical Departments, who are working continuously to plan for the potential travel to the UK.
CWI needs to be aware of all home territories in which players will embark and the board also needs to understand the COVID-19 testing capabilities in each territory of the Caribbean islands, as well as ensure that visas and relevant documentation are secured.
"We fully expect the quarantine for two weeks, but within our discussions with the ECB we would expect to be in a facility that allows us to train outdoors, so we are talking about cricket venues that have hotel accommodation on the site, and therefore the entire practice facility, as well as hotel accommodation, would be in a bio-secure environment," Grave said in an official release issued by Cricket West Indies.
"There are several areas to be covered and several elements to this ongoing situation, so we want to make sure all aspects of our preparations are in place, whilst the ECB develop their plans and await UK Government approval for the tour to go-ahead. We want to share all the information we have with the players and staff so that everyone understands what a bio-secure tour might look like," he added.
England and West Indies are looking to play a three-match Test series against each other in the month of July.
Both cricket boards of the respective countries are in touch with each other to talk about the plans regarding the Test series.
Currently, all cricket action across the world has come to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic.
If England and West Indies indeed go ahead with the Test series, then it can be a first international cricket series since March this year.
On Thursday, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had confirmed that their men's team will return to individual skills-based training, beginning from next week under "strict" protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The board said by utilising venues across the country for individual sessions, it will be able to provide a controlled environment that ensures adherence to safety protocols and social distancing measures for players and staff as set out by the government.
