Sussex CEO Rob Andrew says clubs and supporters must prepare for year without county cricket

Andrew told the BBC that clubs like his are already "[making] decisions to try and protect [their] future"

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Sussex chief executive Rob Andrew has warned fellow county bosses to gear up for a summer where no cricket is played.

Andrew, who previously oversaw English professional rugby during a decade at the RFU, told BBC Radio Sussex that clubs must move to guarantee their futures in the event of professional cricket being wiped out completely by the coronavirus outbreak this summer. 

The Hove club has already announced the furloughing of "the majority" of off-field staff earlier this week following ECB confirmation that the season would not be able to begin until May 28 at the very earliest.

"We're all having to make decisions that we never dreamt we'd be making, even three or four weeks ago," Andrew said.

"We're having to make decisions that try and protect the future of the club into the next six to 12 months because we just don't know quite what the future holds.

"We have to think about the unthinkable which is the possibility if we're not able to [resume], we have to try and survive this summer without any cricket, which is the reason we exist.

"It's very, very challenging, undoubtedly."

While the ECB is yet to confirm how the professional calendar may look should the season possibly begin in May, June, July or August, Sussex alone had been scheduled to play six County Championship fixtures before the proposed May 28 commencement, including three home ties.

The ECB has this week announced a £61 million support package for all levels of the professional and recreational game, with two-thirds of this earmarked for county cricket boards.

Chief executive Tom Harrison is among the senior ECB figures to have volunteered a pay cut as the board seeks to cut costs to mitigate the potential loss of matchday, broadcast and commercial revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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