Friday 10 April 2020 07:04, UK
Ashley Giles says he is hanging on to the hope that some cricket will be played this summer, despite the coronavirus outbreak, with international fixtures the priority.
While the start of the cricket season remains postponed until at least May 28, the managing director of the England men's team says the ECB is currently in discussion with other international boards in the hope of pushing fixtures back later in the calendar.
England are scheduled to play West Indies in a three-Test series starting on June 4, with Australia [three ODIs, three T20Is], Pakistan [three Tests, three T20Is] and Ireland [three ODIs] also set to tour during the summer.
"We're looking at all scenarios, with a focus on protecting some of our bigger games - Test matches, one-day internationals, T20Is - and perhaps pushing those matches back as far as possible without losing any cricket," said Giles.
"That is possible and I think we have to hang on to the hope that we will get out there and we will play; whether that's behind closed doors or in front of full houses, none of us quite know."
There have been suggestions that if some cricket can indeed be played at the back-end of the summer, it could see two England white-ball and red-ball teams selected to play series at the same time.
Giles ruled out any potential fixtures clash but stressed that the ECB and the players need to be flexible during this uncertain period.
"Nothing is going to be ideal, when we look at preparation for players, their rest between matches, crossover of formats," Giles said. "But, right now, it's a blank sheet of paper. I don't think anything is off the table.
"We've certainly looked at playing two formats around the same time; you could have a Test match running and play a T20 or ODI the day before or day after a Test.
"There will obviously come a point where you can't do that anymore. You can't overlay them - you can't play two games on the same day - so at some point international cricket is going to drop off.
"I'm still hopeful right now we won't get to that point. We've got to remain with that positive mindset we can do it and that we'll get some cricket in."
Focusing on the positives, Giles believes a condensed international calendar could give greater opportunities to a larger pool of players.
He also hinted at the possibility of an England intra-squad friendly, similar to that which the Australia touring side benefited from before last year's Ashes, in an effort to quickly get the team ready following such a long break.
"In terms of cricketing performance, while it might not be ideal from a playing point of view, it actually could give us a better look at more players and a broader group of people that we might have to play in the future," said Giles. "In that sense, it would give greater opportunity.
"Certainly we'd need to play a couple of warm-up games; I think that [intra-squad game] would be a decent idea and a decent way around the problem more broadly. I think we could do that.
"Believe me, we will do whatever we can - as long as our people are safe - to get out there and play cricket."
