Reluctant ECB likely to postpone ‘The Hundred’, stops general ticket sales

XtraTime Web Desk: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday confirmed that the next two sale windows for The Hundred are to be delayed, thereby raising serious doubts over the tournament starting as scheduled. Decisions to these effects are waiting to be taken anytime soon and formal announcements can be expected between now and the next few weeks. The Hundred is ECB’s dream project, one that was first unveiled in April 2018, playing conditions confirmed in February 2019 and the player draft taking place the same October.
Following February’s first priority access window, a second instalment, available for subscribers to The Hundred, was due to open on 2 April. The competition’s inaugural general sale was scheduled for 8 April.

Professional cricket throughout April and May has been cancelled and ongoing work continues to look at revised schedules across the whole game for June, July and August.

Accordingt to Sanjay Patel, managing director, The Hundred, “In the midst of an epidemic which is affecting the nation in unprecedented ways, it would be wholly inappropriate for us to promote and sell tickets to The Hundred. We appreciate this may cause some disappointment to fans that were keen to purchase tickets in the April sales window, accessing early bird prices and securing tickets to the most in-demand games.”

“When it is appropriate to go back on sale, we will of course offer the same ticket offers and accessible pricing. Like the rest of the nation, we all hope that it is not far away before cricket returns to our screens, stadiums, parks and clubs,” added Sanjay.