Arrangements agreed for tour

cricket ground. The status of quarantine restrictions, along with any other governmental clearance, is subject to change at all times and is likely to be one of the final issues settled.

A number of West Indies players have resumed training, with Kemar Roach saying he was looking forward to the trip.

However, CWI chief executive Johnny Grave, speaking to the BBC’s Today Programme, admitted some other players were more reluctant, and said none would be asked to play against their will.

Grave said: “There has been some nervousness from the players and certainly here in Antigua, you know, we’re now Covid-19 free so it will be a very different perspective for our players to consider going on the tour.

“But I think ultimately that our players, we’ve been very open and honest with them and sharing plans from the day we got them from the ECB.

“I think that’s helped players understand what this Tour might look like, and from all the players that I’ve spoken to, there’s an eagerness to go to England and get some live cricket back on.”

England stepped up their own preparations for the return of international cricket on Friday, with the ECB naming a bumper 55-man training group to prepare not only for the West Indies, but also a planned full Pakistan tour and limited-overs matches against Australia.

In addition to granting approval for the tour, the CWI board announced a number of financial measures in response to the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. CWI will impose a temporary 50 per cent reduction in salaries and cricket funding from the start of July.