Won't force any player for England tour in July: WI captain Holder

The tour, which was due to start on June 4, stands postponed until at least July over Covid-19 pandemic. It is believed that the new schedule for the series could be announced at the end of this month.

Windies cricket team captain Jason Holder has said that he won't be forcing any of his players to take part in the England tour, where the two teams are currently scheduled to play three-match Test series this summer.

"Each player has to be comfortable in making the step," BBC Sport quoted Holder.

"It's been made clear if we are to hop on a plane and go over to England to play, it must be safe."

"Certainly from my perspective, I won't be forcing anyone to go anywhere," he added.

The tour, which was due to start on June 4, stands postponed until at least July because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is believed that the new schedule for the series could be announced at the end of this month.

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"We've been given assurances from Cricket West Indies that we'd only go over to England if they deem it safe for us to play," said Holder.

"It's no different from a frontline worker going into a hospital every day - they're putting their lives at risk, and still going to make money. The longer we stay off the field, the longer it'll take for us to make money," he added.

Earlier, Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave had said that some of the players will be "very nervous" about the prospect of travelling to the UK amid the coronavirus outbreak.

England board bans cricketers from wearing smartwatches in field of play

England and Wales cricket board hoped the decision will ensure that the integrity of players are not in doubt.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday banned cricketers from wearing smartwatches on the field of play in all upcoming matches, tightening its anti-corruption regulations in the wake of live streaming in county cricket.

"But with the vast majority of fixtures now available to watch live worldwide thanks to the growth of live-streaming services in the county game, the regulations have been tightened, meaning that smartwatches are completely banned in televised games and are permitted in the players' and match officials' areas (dressing rooms, balconies, dugouts) only in non-televised games," a report in ESPNcricinfo said.

It was Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson who brought to light the opportunity for information exchange when he had revealed that he came to know about his maiden England call-up via a notification on his teammate Steven Croft's smartwatch during the 2019 County Championship.

Now with the rise of live streaming of matches, the governing body has decided to tighten its regulations.

ECB hoped the decision will ensure that the integrity of players are not in doubt.

"We review the anti-corruption codes and PMOA minimum standards on a yearly basis so that they remain relevant to the current threats and risks to cricket," an ECB spokesperson said.

Cricket's 'Big Three' still dominating the game both on and off the field

India, Australia and England have not only dominated the game but also have been able to strike lucrative domestic broadcasting deals.

Business Standard : They may have each had some slip-ups along the way, but it is perhaps no surprise that cricket's three wealthiest nations -- England, India and Australia -- are in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The tournament, which will generate some 400 million pounds ($500 million) in broadcast revenues alone, is key in funding the International Cricket Council's work in developing the sport.

Yet most of the money still finds its way to cricket's richest countries.

In the 2016-23 broadcasting cycle, of which the 2019 and 2023 World Cup are the key events, some 93 "associate" or junior cricket nations stand to receive 175 million pounds from the ICC, whereas India will get 320 million pounds alone.

While the 'Big Three' are able to strike lucrative domestic broadcasting deals as well, teams based in poorer local economies such as South Africa and the West Indies are struggling to compete.

They face the constant threat of players quitting international cricket to pursue more lucrative careers in one of the numerous Twenty20 franchise competitions that have sprung up following the huge success of the Indian Premier League.

When promising South Africa fast bowler Duanne Olivier announced he was halting his Proteas career to join English county side Yorkshire, it prompted West Indies captain Jason Holder to call in February for the ICC to introduce a minimum wage for international cricket.

- 'Biggest issue' -

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, speaking last week before his side ended their World Cup campaign in the group stage, said: "Looking at the one-day side, your players that will move on from the Proteas would potentially move on to the T20 circuit.

"That will become the biggest issue for us to try and stay away from for all players. And that's including myself." New Zealand, the fourth-placed qualifier for the semi-finals, were quicker than most to adapt the realities of the modern game by allowing top players to feature in the IPL, although they were helped by the lack of a clash with their domestic season.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Is it coming home to England this time?

With 100 days until the 2019 World Cup gets underway, might it be the year that England lift the global game's premier limited-overs trophy at long last?

Business Standard : With 100 days until the 2019 World Cup gets underway, might it be the year that England lift the global game's premier limited-overs trophy at long last? England -- the pioneers of one-day cricket as a professional sport -- have taken part in every World Cup since staging the inaugural men's event in 1975.

But all they have to show for their efforts are runners-up medals from the 1979, 1987 and 1992 finals.

Test cricket has long been the priority for everyone in English cricket, be they players, fans or administrators.

That changed, however, after another World Cup group-stage exit at the 2015 edition in Australia and New Zealand was sealed with a woeful loss to Bangladesh.

Then England and Wales Cricket Board supremo Andrew Strauss decreed that white-ball cricket would no longer be the "poor relation", with the former England captain sacking head coach Peter Moores and bringing in Australian Trevor Bayliss specifically to turn round the team's limited-overs form.

The transformation has been remarkable with a newly-liberated England twice setting new records for the highest ODI totals -- their 444 for three against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016 a prelude to last year's colossal 481 for six at the same ground.

England, captained in 50-over cricket by former Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan, with the side featuring Test skipper Joe Root and the hard-hitting talents of Jason Roy, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, now sit atop the ODI world rankings heading into their upcoming five-match series away to the West Indies.

'Now is the time'

"We can say we were the best ODI side to play for England... but without a trophy, it will be difficult to say that," said all-rounder Moeen Ali, looking to help England's men win just their second major global event following the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

"We have come close and we feel now is the time."

"We don't feel we have to win it, it's more 'this is the time to win it'. We are an amazing side but we know this year is massive for us," added Moeen, with England, as was the case in 1975, playing host to a World Cup and an Ashes series in the same season.

But unlike that first eight-team edition 43 years ago, which featured two then non-Test sides in East Africa and the long since elevated Sri Lanka, this year's event will be a 10-team affair contested solely by Test nations.