Up to 18 bowlers will be permitted to return to individual training from Thursday as the ECB steps up cricket’s comeback.
While no matches will be played until July 1 at the earliest, the training sessions will be held at seven venues: Taunton, Edgbaston, Emirates Old Trafford, Emirates Riverside, Kia Oval, Trent Bridge and Hove.
All venues are likely to host at least one session this week before a full roll out next week.
A physio will be present alongside the bowlers at each venue, and will be observing social distancing. ECB and some county coaches will return to training next week.
The ECB’s new guidelines state the bowlers will be assigned their own balls, and will be unable to apply saliva or sweat to them.
When coaches return to training, players will be able to bowl to them, as long as the coach is wearing their own mitt, as well as a disposable glove on the other hand.
Batsmen and wicketkeepers will not be able to return to training until June 1.
Additional venues will be added to the ECB’s list in order to accommodate these players, and a coach and physio will be in attendance at each session.
