‘Having been stumped on the radio I sought scientific advice’: Recreational cricket CAN return from next weekend as government performs U-turn, says prime minister Boris Johnson
Prime minister Boris Johnson invoked his very own Decision Review System on Friday before giving recreational cricketers the green light to return next weekend.
Johnson made a dramatic u-turn just three hours after frustrating the ECB by again ruling out on LBC radio a start date for the club game.
He had previously claimed a cricket ball could be a ‘vector for disease’ but on Friday initially put the blame on sandwiches for the extended absence of the recreational game.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that cricket can resume next weekend
‘There are other considerations,’ said the prime minister when asked why a tennis ball was considered safe but not a cricket one.
‘With cricket the risk is not so much the ball, although that may be a factor, it’s the teas, the changing rooms, and so on,’ he said.
But that all changed later when Johnson claimed he had been ‘stumped’ during his radio appearance. ‘I’ve taken scientific advice and gone to the third umpire and we will now be providing guidelines for the return of recreational cricket next weekend,’ he said.
The change of heart came as a relief to ECB, who had been adamant it was safe for the club game to return. ‘We are delighted,’ said an ECB spokesperson. ‘We will shortly publish our approved guidelines for cricket’s return.’
