Update on domestic disability cricket competitions
The ECB have confirmed that all domestic ECB-sponsored disability cricket competitions for 2020 will be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ECB recently announced that the majority of ECB National competitions have been cancelled this year and have since given a lot of thought as to whether we could continue with the disability competitions but have unfortunately concluded it will not be possible this year.
The competitions that the ECB fund and support are national and require significant travel around the country. In the current circumstances we believe it is safer for clubs and players to reduce their amount of travel. It would not be appropriate for the ECB to go ahead with these competitions when it could expose players, especially those who have underlying health conditions, to increased risks.
As a result, the following competitions will not take place this year:
- D40
- Super 9s
- All BCEW VI competitions
While the ECB recognise this will be disappointing news, this announcement does not prevent disability cricket from taking place this year. Disability clubs are free to organise their own friendly matches more locally, following UK Government and ECB Return to Cricket guidelines in England (here) and Wales (here). Players who are capable of playing local mainstream club cricket can also do so, in line with ECB and UK Government guidelines.