Pakistan’s tour to England looks set go ahead as planned after the two governing bodies met on Friday to discuss the plans and measures, which will guarantee a safe environment for all players and staff.
In the meeting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was assured by the English Cricket Board’s (ECB) operational methods of accommodating the Pakistan team, without risking the further spread of the coronavirus.
The tour had to be postponed to August, but following Friday’s agreement in principle, the three Test matches and three T20Is will go ahead as ECB looks to salvage their summer season of cricket.
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The PCB CEO Wasim Khan told ESPNcricinfo that the outcome of the meeting with the ECB was highly positive and that the visitors are confident of making the tour a reality.
‘We were presented with a lot of the planning and detail that the ECB are putting into place for this summer, especially on the operational side, right from the plane for travel to the bio-secure venues we will play in.
‘It was very, very encouraging from that point of view and the PCB is very optimistic about the plans in place,’ Khan said.
Such measures, however, require a compulsory two-week quarantine period for the Pakistan squad in July, while they will also reside at one specific venue for the whole tour where they will be allowed to conduct training sessions and practice matches in the buildup to the series.
Only two cricket grounds will be used for all the matches that are set be played, though, those venues are yet to be confirmed.
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Earlier this week the ECB also announced plans for the England players to return to individual training in the coming week as the British government begins to ease some restrictions on their nationwide lockdown.
Director of cricket, Ashley Giles, however, stated that the players will not be forced into training if they are not comfortable.
‘These are the first steps for players return to training ahead of international cricket potentially resuming later this summer,
‘The safety of players, staff and our community is our first priority throughout this protocol. We are committed to adhering to public health guidelines and Government directives intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19,’ read a statement from Giles.
