Bio-secure venues can withstand the second wave of the virus - Steve Elworthy

Earlier this week, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced an itinerary for a three-match Test series against West Indies, beginning from 8 July. 

Manchester has been speculated to be particularly prone to the outbreak of COVID cases. However, the Director of the ECB Events, Steve Elworthy, stated that the two designated venues have all the proper prerequisites to withstand the second wave of the virus.

"The way we have structured the 'bubble' is that it can operate under the most extreme circumstances," said Elworthy. "All of our planning has been based on the worst-case scenario, from an infection and a rate-spike point of view. So external factors should not affect that because, if you are secure within the venue, and you don't break the confines of that venue, then your game should be able to go ahead with no problems at all." Steve Elworthy was quoted as saying on a Sky Sports' Cricket show. 

The Edgbaston has been earmarked as a contingency venue which will orchestrate additional practice sessions for the teams till July. The ECB is confident that there will be no last-minute hitch, as it has ensured that adequate precautions are in place at every location, including medical screening and testing centres.

Although commuting from Southampton to Manchester is considered a perilous one, Elworthy opined that it was important to schedule different venues for the Test series, taking into account the change of scene for players, support staff and the media, who would have been constrained to one area for a long period of time, thereby raising the likelihood of the spread of the virus.

"If you were to hold your first two Test matches at the same venue, you could end up possibly winning a series in the same conditions in the same venue, back-to-back," he said. "We felt that, to win a series, you should have to win it in two separate sets of conditions," he said. 

Steve stated that the justification for choosing Ageas Bowl to host the series opener was primarily due to its out-of-town location, which also consisted of two fully equipped grounds adjacent to the stadium; a pivotal element in deciding the venue.

"We wanted both teams to be able to practice and train and prepare for a Test match, and having two full grounds available to be able to train was key."

[ESPN Cricinfo input]