DIRECT ROOT Big price to pay

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(front row, third from right) shares a joke with his team-mates after the Test series win in South Africa

October and November and a fivetest tour of India between January and March.

As things stand there is a gap in the calendar in December but Root believes that could lead to undue stresses for multi-format players.

He said: “I am sure there are a number of different scenarios we may have to find ourselves looking at down the line but it could make it a very tough winter.

“It would be a huge workload on some of the players, especially the multi-format players.

“If it goes ahead that way we will have to be able to adapt, look at squad sizes we take over and make sure guys are not blown out, overworked, throughout that period. It will be quite different.”

JOE ROOT says top cricketers may have to face up to the possibility of pay cuts with the entire season facing a potential wipeout.

The England Test skipper, 29, said: “I’m sure at some point in the coming weeks there will be a discussion.

“That’s not my area of expertise but it has definitely crossed my mind that we might not play this summer.

“We have to stay optimistic, take things day by day and not get too ahead of ourselves.

“We’ve just got to be ready for whenever we get to play again.”

Top stars like Root, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler earn around £1m from their central contracts and could lose up to £200,000 in renegotiated deals.

Multi-format players such as Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes would be similarly affected.