WINDIES PRIORITISE ENGLAND TOUR

THE ECB have been given a free run at reorganising their international summer plans after West Indies prioritised their three Tests in England over home series against New Zealand and South Africa. Although giving up matches on their own soil will potentially deny Caribbean cricket fans action, the West Indies hierarchy believe allowing the England fixtures to take precedence gives them the best chance of beginning on the first of three restart dates they are modelling — July/August, October and a worst-case scenario of January 2021. West Indies favour this schedule as the ECB are further ahead in planning for matches and possess far superior resources should bio-sealing grounds be deemed necessary by authorities when professional sport resumes. Travel logistics have also come into the thinking of Johnny Grave, Cricket West Indies’ chief executive, who has been in continuous dialogue with Tom Harrison — his ECB counterpart — for several weeks on plans to relocate a Test series due to open at the Oval on June 4. While West Indies can fly directly to London in eight hours, the New Zealanders and South Africans would require a stop-off en route to the Caribbean for six white-ball internationals between July 8-19, and two Tests and five Twenty20s between July 23-August 16 respectively. Protecting players from Covid-19 becomes harder if transit involves multiple legs. Although the trip to the UK will cost Cricket West Indies close to £1million, it is attractive to their sponsors Sandals, the travel company with a lucrative British market — and would also provide some return on the board’s annual contract investment. Rescheduling one-day and Twenty20 internationals will also be easier to do than a three-match Test series. A new proposed itinerary is to be put to the ECB board later this week.