England star Ben Stokes says cricketers “would do anything” to get the game back up and running and insists Test matches will not lose their competitive edge if they are held behind closed doors.
Professional cricket in England is suspended until at least July 1 because of the coronavirus outbreak, while the ECB announced last week that it has postponed the launch of its new Hundred competition until next year.
It is not yet clear what this summer’s diminished season will look like, but international fixtures and the lucrative T20 Blast will take priority over the four-day County Championship in order to minimise the substantial financial impact upon the sport.
England have already lost a Test series in Sri Lanka to the pandemic, while the series against the West Indies, which was due to start on home soil next month, has been delayed.
If and when it is able to go ahead, it will be without fans in attendance, but Stokes insists he and his teammates will not be any less fired up.
“We’re walking out representing our country, we’ve got the three lions on our chest and there’s a game in front of us to win,” he told BBC 5Live.
“Whether that’s in front of nobody or what we’re used to – in front of a full crowd – I don’t think it’s going to take that competitive side away.
“It’s just going to be a completely different scenario for us to get our head around. There isn’t going to be the atmosphere or the cheering that we’re used to when we’re playing an international game.
“We would do anything to get cricket back on, on TV for people to follow and watch. If that means we have to play in front of nobody then so be it.”
