The Hundred could be delayed until 2021 if fans are not allowed to attend matches
Tuesday 31 March 2020 18:45, UK
The England and Wales Cricket Board have announced a funding package worth £61m to help elite and grassroots cricket through the coronavirus pandemic.
The financial assistance will help the whole sport from elite to grassroots, including the MCC, the First-Class Counties (FCCs) and their County Cricket Boards (CCBs). Local cricket clubs will also be offered support to see them through the coming months.
The ECB have made £40m available immediately which includes three months worth of payments released early to help counties.
The coronavirus crisis has forced the domestic campaign to be postponed until at least May 28, although the governing body's own modelling takes into account the possibility of the entire 2020 campaign being cancelled.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: "We understand these are challenging times and it has been our priority to provide swift and immediate support to all members of the cricket family at every level in England and Wales.
"We are fully aware that the situation with COVID-19 will continue to develop, and it will be months before the full financial fallout is made clear. We will continue work with all of our partners to protect the ongoing health of the entire game in the short term and beyond."
An extra budget of just over £20m will become available to the recreational game through a cricket club support loan scheme, grants through the "Return to Cricket" scheme and a 12-month holiday on loan repayments for recreational clubs.
This summer's new 100-ball competition The Hundred could be postponed until 2021 or be forced to be played behind closed doors.
Harrison says discussions will take place in the next few weeks.
"All scenarios are on the table, we will have to take a view on what is possible," he added.
"It is not just about being behind closed doors for The Hundred, (but) it is one of the issues we are grappling with.
"We will have to have discussions in a few weeks about getting crowds into stadiums. If that is not going to be possible and we can serve cricket fans in this country in some way then we will look at that.
"We will put safety of players and those working in the game at the heart."
