"I can't see us playing cricket until right towards the end of the season"
Friday 24 April 2020 12:15, UK
The start of the 2020 cricket season could be delayed further beyond July 1, says Sky Sports Cricket pundit Rob Key.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has already pushed back the potential start date from May 28 due to the coronavirus pandemic, forcing England's Test series against West Indies and the Vitality Blast to be postponed.
Former England and Kent batsman Key told Sky Sports News that while he's desperate for cricket to return as soon as is possible, in accordance with Government advice, he fears that further delays could be on the cards.
"I still think there will be more to come, to be honest," he said. "I can't see us playing cricket until right towards the end of the season.
"You look at things like travel bans and hotels not being open - all that type of stuff; they're almost going to be the last things to come back.
"I hope we do get some cricket this year but I think we've got a few more delays to come."
With the number of lost County Championship rounds now standing at nine and the Vitality Blast - a lucrative tournament for counties - now on hold, Key admitted that it's tough to know the extent of the impact that the latest postponement is having on each club.
"Counties, a lot of the time, run at a loss - somewhere like Kent, when I was captain a few years ago, was losing half-a-million pounds a year at times," Key reflected.
"Now a lot of these counties have furloughed their playing staff - and a lot of their staff in general - so you'd think there's not a huge expense going on.
"So the smaller counties, who everyone generally fears for, actually might not be in as dire a position as people think.
"It's the counties that have hotels, conferencing and all these types of hospitality that are not bringing in any more revenue at the moment.
"Then you are looking at how much money do they have in reserve that can get them through."
Fellow Sky Sports pundit Nasser Hussain agreed with Key that the ECB had no option but to further delay the season, adding that he can't see how the County Championship can now take place.
The ECB will discuss whether the inaugural edition of its new competition The Hundred will take place at a meeting on Wednesday, but Hussain said it's increasingly unlikely to take place.
"I can't see any reason to play The Hundred behind closed doors this summer," he said. "The whole point of it was bringing in a new audience, a younger and different audience.
"It was supposed to be the best against the best, with international cricketers; if they aren't coming then I can't see the point of having The Hundred at all this year."
