Coronavirus forces ECB to prioritize money-spinner 'The Hundred' over county cricket

The upcoming English cricket season was slated to begin with the 2020 County Championship in April. However, the domestic championship along with several other tournaments and bilateral affairs in England are set to be postponed in wake of the ongoing worldwide crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to recent media reports, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are currently looking to prioritize their high-profile and much-anticipated limited-overs tournaments like The Hundred and Vitality T20 Blast over their prestigious County Championship.

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England Cricket to prioritize The Hundred over County Championship

The upcoming inaugural season of The Hundred was originally scheduled to launch on July 17. It is a franchise-based professional 100-ball cricket tournament organised by the England cricket organisers. It was touted by many as a potential rival of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), which is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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According to a report by an online cricket portal, the England cricket board are planning to not go ahead with its County Championship in order to focus upon money-spinning tournaments like The Hundred and Vitality T20 Blast. An official statement is expected to be released soon, according to the report. The England cricket board is also likely to announce the delay of their cricket season by a duration of six to seven weeks. If such a delay is announced, several matches of the County Championship would be wiped out from their 2020 domestic calendar.

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Coronavirus impact on England cricket

Apart from the upcoming England cricket season, the coronavirus pandemic also delayed the Test series between hosts Sri Lanka and visiting England side. The series was scheduled to be played between March 19 and March 31 and it was part of the ongoing World Test Championship. Several England players participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2020) season were also invited back to their country and the tournament itself got postponed until further notice.

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