‘Untimely to receive too excited’: Cricket West Indies president on England tour


Ricky Skerritt, president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), has said it is “untimely to receive too excited” approximately the conditions under which the England tour would be conceivable. He also said while talks were ongoing approximately the opportunity of a July start to the three-Test series, there used to be no “confirmation” yet.

Jason Holder’s team were meant to begin the Test series on June 4. Then again in April, the ECB postponed the tour indefinitely after the United Kingdom government imposed quite a lot of restrictions as a part of the lockdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Monday, releasing a 60-page document titled ‘Covid-19 Recovery Strategy’, the United Kingdom government stated that sport at the back of closed doors used to be provisionally conceivable from June 1 as a part of that process.

The ECB reiterates that international cricket remains its precedence in the fast-shrinking global cricket window and the most productive place to play game is in a bio-secure surroundings, at the back of closed doors.

“It would be untimely to begin to receive too excited as to what the terms and conditions would be,” Skerritt told i955fm, a Trinidad-based radio station, on Thursday from his home in St Kitts and Nevis. “There was no confirmation of anything. Different ideas have come up based on the medical advice. Both organisations have had medical oriented and cricket technical oriented discussions.”

Skerritt said that both boards were “speculating, hoping, imagining, wishing, praying” that the tour would take place one day all through the England’s cricket summer which is likely to stretch to end of September.

“The tour used to be supposed to take place inside the next two weeks, somewhere in June. We retain pushing back the dates….we have a date sometime in July for the proposed tour to start. The technical people are talking, having a look at potential scenarios for commute or hospitality, for practice, for preparation, for getting the players in a position to compete at international level and so forth.

“That’s the planning process that is taking place on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly at the ECB. It is their home series. And the onus is on them to invite us, which has already been done, and then say when, how, where etc. We don’t seem to be at that point yet.

Both the ECB and CWI had a convention call recently to talk about the viability of going ahead with the Test series. Also present on the call were the key personnel from both team managements, including West Indies captain Jason Holder, Phil Simmons (head coach), former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams (director of cricket) together with CWI chief executive Johnny Grave.

Joe Root and Jason Holder have been involved in discussions approximately West Indies’ tour Getty Images

Holder had recently told CNC3 TV, a Caribbean television network, that he would not need to be rushed into any decision with no need addressed all essential precautions needed with the intention to commute to England.

“This object (pandemic) has been in point of fact, in point of fact serious, as everyone knows, and has claimed rather a couple of lives all over the world, and that is the reason the very last thing any of us would in point of fact want,” Holder said. “I think we’ve got to play the safety card first before we will be able to even take into consideration resuming our normal lives.”

Skerritt echoed that sentiment. “Let me just be lucid, Cricket West Indies might not be making any decisions that do not make sense under the circumstances,” he said. “But obviously unless things change dramatically inside the next month or two it would possibly not be normal circumstances, so the circumstances that prevail and the conditions that are placed will be decided whether they’re mutually suitable.

“This will be a win-win tour with regards to the arrangements. Nobody will be put at a disadvantage. Nobody will be abused. We are trying to put things in place where cricketers can play cricket.”

‘Too early to speak of quarantine’

According to the recovery strategy document released by the United Kingdom government, all out of the country travelers would want to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

ESPNcricinfo understands that CWI has stated to the ECB that its players would need a four-week period to prepare in England for the series. The CWI used to be hopeful of their players being allowed the chance to train all through the two-week quarantine, even supposing the ECB would want to seek the government’s nod beforehand.

Skerritt said West Indies players would want to follow the rules, but he also pointed out it used to be it used to be too early to speak about quarantine presently.

“This is too early to speak of quarantine and length of quarantine and so forth,” he said. “You’ll’t go to Britain to play sport or do anything else without complying with regardless of the terms, conditions and protocols function at the time. In a similar fashion, Caribbean cricketers don’t seem to be going as a way to move around the region, get involved in preparation camps and other things that are essential before a tour like this without it being cleared with the health authorities.

“Cricket West Indies isn’t in besides trying to force any unreasonable ideas down anybody’s throat. The cricketers don’t seem to be going to be jumping into a blind gap, they should not be jumping into a gap at all.”

Skerritt ruled out sending a “weakened” squad to England in case one of the vital primary Test players were to opt out. Whether players made up our minds it used to be “too dangerous” for them after the boards had finalised to go ahead with the series, Skerritt said it used to be “their prerogative” and the CWI would not “force” them to go on there.

“We don’t seem to be going to force anybody to go anywhere to play cricket they do not need to play. Fortunately, we do not expect that because I don’t see any reason to imagine that anyone is going to be less protected in the United Kingdom than they will be at home under the circumstances.”

Both boards will are scheduled to talk about to convene over another call on May 15 to talk about the update scenario. “Whether this English tour is going to take place, and I think, I’ve to imagine all of us prefer it took place, we need to be sure that terms and conditions and the surroundings for good health, hygiene and safety in the context of Covid-19 prevail in ways that do not make cricket unimaginable to be played.

“We are not going to change the rules of cricket. We just need as a way to come to a decision what the surroundings can also be under the circumstances and ensure everybody is lucid and aware and in agreement with what’s the way forward.”


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