ECB planning to field two England teams in summer this year

• England are scheduled to face, Pakistan, West Indies and Australia between June and September.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to field two teams at the same time later this summer as coronavirus crises dented the world as well as cricket season.

England are scheduled to face, Pakistan, West Indies and Australia between June and September. If crises eases enough, then Joe Root’s Test side could face West Indies or Pakistan, while Eion Morgan’s side will face Australia.

It is highly unlikely that those matches taking place in front of the pack crowed, with the board is strongly reviewing possibilities for staging international and domestic matches this summer, which could be behind closed doors.

The ECB has already issued an initial £61million emergency funding package and also ruled out pay cuts for centrally-contracted England players.

“It is no exaggeration to say this is the biggest challenge the ECB has faced in its history,” Daily Mail quoted chief executive Tom Harrison. “We are working around the clock to understand the impact on the game and we have taken these short-term steps to help counties and clubs get through the immediate impact.”

Now the governing body will continue looking into various schedules if cricket is able to take place for two, three or four months this summer, with Harrison raising the prospect of maximising whatever time is available by putting out two England teams.

Harrison admitted he would be taking a cut in his annual salary of £719,000 while the crisis still grips the country and that the ECB are ‘exploring furloughing’ within the domestic game. But the top players will be exempt, with the chief executive adding: ‘There will be no pay cuts for centrally-contracted players.’