England and West Indies hopeful of meeting this summer as cricket prepares for life after lockdown

West Indies were due to play in a three-match series starting on 4 June. However, the coronavirus pandemic meant the ECB had to suspend all professional cricket until 1 July

A meeting between the boards of England and the West Indies, which included respective captains Joe Root and Jason Holder, took place on Friday evening as plans to stage some form of international cricket this summer take shape.

West Indies were due to play in a three-match series starting on 4 June. However, the coronavirus pandemic meant the England and Wales Cricket Board had to suspend all professional cricket until 1 July. With the opening season of The Hundred now suspended until 2021, the focus was now on working out a way to get international cricket and the domestic T20 Blast into a truncated season.

The ECB have held talks with other boards due to visit this summer, such as the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, with a view to seeing what could be done to salvage those tours. Alongside government and medical advice, they have been devising strategies to cope with restrictions that will still be in place if behind-closed-doors matches are allowed to go ahead. These including regular screening and testing of players, coaches and the necessary staff to put these matches on, to ensuring venues are bio-secure and Covid-19 free.

The Daily Telegraph has reported the ECB are working towards 8 July as the earliest potential start. While no prospective date was given, a statement on Saturday confirmed dialogue with Cricket West Indies had been taken a step forward.

“Positive ongoing discussions with the ECB and CWI continued on Friday. Both boards were represented including captains, coaches, administrators and the chief medical officers from the respective boards.

Both captains took part in the talks (Getty)

“Discussions were wide-ranging including dialogue around revised schedules and COVID-19 medical and biosecurity planning.

“Meetings will be ongoing over the next few months to reach an outcome of when international cricket could potentially return. This is a long and detailed process and is very much in the early stages of planning. The guidance from the Government will emphasise what we can do.”

One obstacle will be restrictions over international travel preventing overseas players from coming to the United Kingdom, which was one of the reasons given for postponing The Hundred.

Another issue will be whether the players will be happy to participate, especially West Indies players having to travel to a country with the fourth-most confirmed cases and third-most deaths. It would not be out of the question that players from both sides to opt out of taking part in the series if it went ahead. The ECB have kept their players abreast of developments as they happen and will ensure they have all the information available in the event that cricket is to be played.

England returned early from their tour of Sri Lanka in March as the pandemic was sweeping through Europe, with Root declaring an "element of relief" with minds distractive with worry over the safety of those at home.

Those worries will remain even if government advice is favourable towards cricket being played. Though there is enthusiasm to get back on the field, there is a wariness of doing so too soon.

“I think for us to be able to go out there and play some cricket would be an incredible feeling,” said England and Surrey batsman Jason Roy. “I feel like a kid again.”

“I guess we're governed by the government here, we don't really know what is going on or what the safety measures are. There's way bigger things out there. I'm more than happy to play behind closed doors, it would just be nice to get out there.”

“If an individual wants to go onto the front line and put himself at risk, then good on him. But if somebody doesn’t want to, then I don’t think they should be criticised.”