Wellington: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced on Tuesday (August 11) that Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh and West Indies have all confirmed they will tour during the upcoming home season, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
NZC CEO David White said managed isolation arrangements for the visiting teams were still being operated out with officials in Wellington, but the tours would get going. “I was just on the phone to the West Indies, they’re confirmed, Pakistan is confirmed, Australia and Bangladesh, so (there will be) 37 days of international cricket,” he was quoted as saying to reporters.
New Zealand to host West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh during home season #Cricket #ESPNCricInfo https://t.co/0pwUeOUrNk pic.twitter.com/uNGVfuuZnY
— #EngvPAK #EngvsPAK #ENGvPAK (@CricLiveESPN) August 11, 2020
White refused to release schedules of the tours until details had been worked out. He said, “Arrangements were likely to follow the model of bio-secure “bubbles” adopted in England for the recent West Indies tour when teams accommodation and training facilities were located at the match venue to isolate players.”
He also stated, “We’re working through that with the government agencies at the moment, a similar concept. The agencies have been really supportive, the government’s been fantastic.” White also confirmed that women’s team will tour Trans-Tasman rivals Australia in September with the reverse fixture slated for February.
“The White Ferns will tour Australia in September and then the Australia Women’s team will tour New Zealand in February. We are just working through the content but probably five ODIs and three T20Is,” he said.
This would be good! 🤞
— Australian Women’s Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) August 11, 2020
.@CricketAus and New Zealand Cricket are in early talks to schedule a trans-Tasman series in February next year: https://t.co/PDnJEnkgFl pic.twitter.com/oqJU4j93vi
People coming to New Zealand currently require to spend at least 14 days quarantine strictly on all international arrivals. But natives of New Zealand are locally enjoying a near-normal, pre-coronavirus way of life with no social distancing and spectators were also allowed at sports and cultural events. The South-Western Pacific country has recorded only 22 COVID-19 deaths in a population of five million, and this week marked 102 days with four new coronavirus cases detected in Auckland on August 11.
