Professor Steve Greenfield, Professor on the Entertainment Law LLM course, has written an article with Cause4’s Ben Wilson for Cricket World about the effect of COVID-19 on recreational cricket.
While Boris Johnson has recently proposed an end to part of England’s lockdown, the route back for cricket has been unclear due to the ball being a natural vector for the transmission of the virus.
Professor Greenfield and Wilson wrote: “Cricket is seen as especially vulnerable as there is normally a single ball per innings and a tradition of outfielders and bowlers using sweat and saliva to polish the ball, before it is passed through numerous pairs of hands. How can recreational cricket safely resume until there is a general vaccine or much more is known about transmission? Cricket Australia is trying out disinfecting the ball as a potential resolution.”
They added: “What do clubs need to do if they are to survive and prosper? Junior cricket is certainly one hopeful avenue and many clubs already have thriving junior sections. Although difficult for smaller clubs without a large membership to compete in single year age groups, junior cricket and girls’ cricket could be better promoted. Diversity and inclusivity needs to be at the forefront of any strategy.”
