The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced a financial aid package for counties.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced a financial aid package for counties.Credit:PA

About £20 million will be made available for recreational clubs via a cricket club support loan scheme,grants through the"return to cricket"scheme and a 12-month holiday on loan repayments.

"We would like to thank everyone within the cricket network who is working tirelessly to protect the game during this period of uncertainty,"Harrison added.

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"We are fully aware that the situation with COVID-19 will continue to develop,and it will be months before the full financial fallout is made clear."

England test captain Joe Root said earlier that he expects talks with the ECB over possible pay cuts for international players to help safeguard the game during the outbreak.

Meanwhile,player salaries for the South African 2020-21 cricket season are safe,but the long-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic could mean the country's cricketers earn less in the future,Cricket South Africa Acting CEO Jacques Faul has said.

Faul said CSA,who contract players on a yearly basis,will not follow suit in cutting player pay,but believed the longer-term prospects for player income is of great concern.

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"We have budgeted for the amount. It is a centralised system and both the national team and franchise players are budgeted for,"Faul told local media on Tuesday.

"At this stage we will have enough capacity to see us through the season. But in the long term,even if we cover this season,we will have to look at what the situation is going to be after that and the financial impact it has.

"In our situation,I cannot see any player getting less money this season,but going forward I can see a situation where players might have to receive less."

Faul added they are currently undertaking scenario planning based on the impact of no cricket for the next three,six or nine months.

He conceded that in a worst-case scenario,where international cricket cannot be played for two or three seasons,the game could become a recreational sport in South Africa.

Reuters

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