Limited crowds may be allowed in stadiums for upcoming series in England
International cricket is set to resume with the first Test between West Indies and England beginning on July 8th. Reports have also begun circulating that small groups of spectators may be allowed entry into the stadiums to watch the matches live.
Relevant sources have also revealed news that other cricketing boards are in talks with the England & Wales Cricket Board regarding permitting a certain number of spectators into the stadiums and that a proposal is under discussion at the moment.
“You cannot rule out the possibility of crowd presence in restricted numbers. A proposal is under consideration. We may see crowds watching the series but the numbers could be too little at a capacity that can accommodate more than 30,000 spectators," sources claimed.
The news of some English counties, including the likes of Lancashire, Hampshire, and Surrey pondering over renting some enclosures at Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl for the same reason have also surfaced.
England Cricket Board also pondering the idea of allowing 500 Surrey Club members to watch the Test
The ECB is also reviewing the idea of letting up to 500 Surrey Club members to watch the first Test match between England and West Indies.
Meanwhile, the 20 Pakistan players who tested negative in the retests conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board have already touched down on English soil for their upcoming series against England.
The Asian outfit is scheduled to feature in a three-match Test series against the hosts followed by as many T20Is in the August-September window.
The Selection Committee had originally selected a 29-man squad for both the Test as well as the T20I series.
However, on Tuesday, PCB confirmed that 10 players and 1 member of the support personnel from the original 35 travelling party had tested positive.
Replacements and reserves were slotted into the squad and all players and members of the support staff were tested again, post which the team traveled to England.