England managing director Ashley Giles said initial plans announced Thursday to get the country’s leading cricketers back training should be safer than going to a supermarket. But the former England spinner added that were international matches to take place amid the coronavirus it was “not realistic” for players to spend 10 weeks in squad quarantine away from their families.

The pandemic has delayed the start of the English cricket season until July 1 at the earliest.

But the England and Wales Cricket Board are still planning to stage a full home international program starting with a three-Test series against the West Indies, originally, scheduled for June, now set to get underway in July.

Three more Tests against Pakistan follow, as well as limited-overs matches with Australia and Ireland.

Wednesday saw the British government publish guidelines on how elite sportsmen and women could return to training.

The ECB have responded by selecting a still-to-be announced training squad of 30 players, with bowlers leading the way at seven grounds from Wednesday of next week.

After a two-week period, once the bowlers have reached their desired loading efforts, batsmen and wicketkeepers will start their program, with 11 venues in all set to host training sessions.

England managing director Ashley Giles said initial plans announced Thursday to get the country’s leading cricketers back training should be safer than going to a supermarket. But the former England spinner added that were international matches to take place amid the coronavirus it was “not realistic” for players to spend 10 weeks in squad quarantine away from their families.

The pandemic has delayed the start of the English cricket season until July 1 at the earliest.

But the England and Wales Cricket Board are still planning to stage a full home international program starting with a three-Test series against the West Indies, originally, scheduled for June, now set to get underway in July.

Three more Tests against Pakistan follow, as well as limited-overs matches with Australia and Ireland.

Wednesday saw the British government publish guidelines on how elite sportsmen and women could return to training.

The ECB have responded by selecting a still-to-be announced training squad of 30 players, with bowlers leading the way at seven grounds from Wednesday of next week.

After a two-week period, once the bowlers have reached their desired loading efforts, batsmen and wicketkeepers will start their program.