England’s Bio-Secure Cricket Bubble Has Been Successful, Other Countries Adopt Blueprint: Chris Silverwood | Cricket News

England confirmed the remainder of the world that cricket may nonetheless be performed throughout the coronavirus pandemic after a outstanding season that passed off totally behind closed doorways. Large elements of the cricketing world rallied to England’s trigger, with the West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Australia all going forward with scheduled excursions. There had been fears all the marketing campaign may very well be worn out as Britain struggled to carry down hovering Covid-19 numbers. As it’s, the English recreation has already misplaced greater than 100 million kilos, a determine that might rise to 200 million kilos if the pandemic interrupts subsequent season.

But these numbers would have been even greater had not all 18 males’s internationals, throughout all three codecs, taken place.

Against the backdrop of issues over the widening hole between cricket’s wealthiest nations — India, England and Australia — and the remainder, the season was additionally a well timed reminder of the worldwide recreation’s want for interdependence.

The West Indies, one of many poorer Test nations, have additionally despatched over a girls’s workforce for a Twenty20 collection that will likely be England’s solely style of worldwide cricket this season.

“It’s been successful here and if we can do it, so can other countries,” stated England males’s coach Chris Silverwood. “Getting cricket on everywhere around the world is what we all want.”

He added: “There’s quite a bit up in the air but we’re hopeful after Christmas the Test tours (Sri Lanka and India) will go ahead.

“South Africa we’re earlier than Christmas for a white-ball tour after which we’re a red-ball camp within the UAE as properly to organize the fellows.”

Fortunately for English officials the lone breach of lockdown regulations, when England fast bowler Jofra Archer made an unauthorised trip home, did not scupper their careful planning.

And the lack of spectators at Southampton and Manchester, the two bio-secure venues used for the 18 fixtures, did not have the damaging effect on performance some feared.

England’s Stuart Broad become just the seventh cricketer to take 500 Test wickets during the West Indies series, which the home side won 2-1, before new-ball partner James Anderson joined an even more exclusive club by taking his 600th wicket on the last day of the series against Pakistan.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes produced heroics with the bat during the second Test against the West Indies, with scores of 176 and 78 not out, while Zak Crawley hit a superb 267, his maiden Test century, against Pakistan.

Yet the visitors shone too. West Indies won the first Test and Pakistan, following a fine 156 from Shan Masood, were poised to follow them when they reduced England to 117-5 chasing a target of 277.

But a stand of 139 between Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes turned the tide in England’s favour and ultimately proved the difference as England won the series 1-0.

Ireland, well beaten in the first two one-day internationals, upset England in the third with Andrew Balbirnie and Paul Stirling both hitting hundreds as they chased down 329.

There were more white-ball thrills between England and Australia, the hosts taking the T20 series.

But Australia hit back to seal a 2-1 one-day international triumph over 50-over world champions England with a three-wicket victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday after recovering from 73-5 to chase down a target of 303.

Glenn Maxwell, whose dashing hundred was key to Australia’s win, said he had “actually loved” bubble life.

But having previously taken time out from cricket because of mental health issues, he urged administrators to understand players’ need to be “round family members and nonetheless have a little bit of normality in life”.

This was also the season where the Black Lives Matter campaign made its presence felt in cricket, with West Indies great Michael Holding and former England women’s international Ebony Rainford-Brent speaking powerfully about the need to combat racism.

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For all the talk about whether or not groups ought to take a knee, one thing England did in opposition to the West Indies and Ireland however not in subsequent matches, the check in England will likely be whether or not there’s a better inflow of Afro-Caribbean expertise and help into the home recreation.

But it was an indication that whereas the matches might have been staged in a bubble, cricket was not happening in a vacuum.