International cricket has returned after a gap of nearly 4 months, with the first Test between England and West Indies at Southampton starting on July 8 being played behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment. The two remaining Tests will be played at Old Trafford starting July 16 and July 24 respectively. Frequent use of hand sanitizers will be the norm to check the spread of viruses.
The series has been named the #raisethebat Test series to pay tribute to Britain’s frontline workers during the pandemic. Keeping with the theme of social causes, the teams will sport the Black Lives Matter logo on their shirts.
Ben Stokes will captain England in place of Joe Root, who withdrew due to the birth of his child. West Indies will be captained by Jason Holder. Here’s what players and officials will need to keep in mind as directed by the ICC: The use of saliva to shine the ball has been banned. A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated saliva violations will result in a 5-run penalty. However, players can use sweat to shine the ball. There will be no neutral umpires, as international travel restrictions have made it difficult for foreign umpires to officiate. With less experienced umpires on duty, the number of DRS referrals for each team, per innings, has been increased to 3. COVID-19 substitutes are allowed, should any player experience symptoms during a game. The said player would have to leave the field and the match referee would have to approve a like-for-like replacement.
