England bubble to have ‘bridge to outside’

ENGLAND cricketers can look forward to a “bridge to the outside” if their home international season goes ahead.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic cutting short the start of their season by several months, the England and Wales Cricket Board remain confident they can stage three-Test series against both the West Indies and Pakistan, in addition to limited-overs internationals with Ireland and Australia, as they try to avoid a £380 million ($463 million) financial black hole.

Matches will be played behind closed doors at two ‘biosecure’ venues, likely to be grounds with hotels such as Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl and Lancashire’s Old Trafford.

No more than 250 people will be present, with everyone subjected to testing.

Meanwhile another ground will be made available for training.

There had been suggestions players might be cooped up together for more than two months in a secure ‘bubble’ to stop the spread of COVID-19.

But it looks as if they will be allowed to spend some time with their families too, meaning England captain Joe Root could leave to attend the birth of his second child, due in July, if that happened when he was on international duty.

“This is what they’re calling, I think, the bridge to the outside,” the ECB’s director of special projects, Steve Elworthy, told a conference call on Friday.

“That protocol of moving in and out through that bridge is currently being worked at with the doctor.