New Zealand Cricket conceded upcoming tours to Europe and the West Indies were unlikely to proceed Friday, with doubts also hanging over a planned visit to Bangladesh.
NZC chief executive David White said the trips to Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands and the Caribbean scheduled for June-July were “most unlikely”, while there were “obvious question marks” about touring Bangladesh in August.
“Clearly, this situation is extremely disappointing for everyone involved in sport but, given the bigger picture, and the terrible toll Covid-19 is taking worldwide, we need to look after not only our own people but the greater community good,” White said.
He confirmed this month’s tour to Sri Lanka by the White Ferns women’s team had been cancelled.
All cricket has been stopped as New Zealand undergoes a four-week Covid-19 lockdown and White said NZC was examining possible playing scenarios for next season.
“Our current focus is very much on ensuring the future sustainability of cricket in New Zealand,” White said.
However, New Zealand Cricket decided against cancelling its A team’s tour of India in August despite the worsening Covid-19 pandemic, saying it is “too early at this point” even as it applied for government wage subsidy scheme to assist payments to its employees.
“The scheme supports employers adversely affected by Covid-19 so they can continue to pay their employees during the lockdown,” the NZC said.
Additionally, NZC staff and management had agreed to essentially exhaust their leave entitlements over the balance of the financial year (to July 31) by switching to a four-day working week.
“We take our duty of care as an employer seriously and, at this juncture, want to avoid any changes to our employee head-count or remuneration levels,” he said.
“However, we’ll continue to closely monitor the effects on the wider cricket family.”
White said over the next few months, NZC would be working closely with all its stake-holders to plan for the various scenarios that may be feasible next season, including community, domestic and international options.
“Although the future is uncertain, we’re determined to be well-prepared for whatever opportunities arise,” he said.
On a positive note, White confirmed the ANZ New Zealand Cricket Awards, initially called off because of the Covid-19 outbreak, would be reinvented in the form of a digital and mainstream media campaign over the week of April 28.
“We look forward to recognising and congratulating our outstanding players, officials, volunteers, coaches and administrators for the 2019-20 season in a fitting way, despite the restrictions and limitations of the current climate.”
The pandemic has caused more than 50,000 deaths worldwide and more than 10,00,000 infected.
