PAUL NEWMAN: It is not without irony that Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, spoke of rewarding cricket's 'core audience' if the game can squeeze a truncated season into this summer.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Sky Sports have given their blessing to the ECB postponing The Hundred for 12 months - despite the competition's importance to their £1.1bn television deal.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: England batsman Joe Denly admits his nerves almost got the better of him during this winter's tour to South Africa when he presented Zak Crawley with his first cap.

Ben Stokes, the hero of England's dramatic World Cup triumph and the miracle of Headingley last summer, has been named the leading cricketer in the world.

COMMENT BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: In the editor's notes in this year's Wisden I suggested the English game has a problem with unconscious bias - which is not the same as overt racism.

JOFRA ARCHER: Being chosen as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year is one of the most prestigious awards imaginable. Even being nominated alongside some big names feels great.

Ashley Giles says England's players will have 'no excuses' for not being fully fit to start a truncated cricket season he still believes can take place later this summer.

With no cricket to fill the live schedules as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, Ben Stokes rewatched his 'miracle of Headlingley' for the first time with his epic 135 not out performance.

Coco Cuhna made the mistake of suggesting to her cricket coach boyfriend that it might be fun to see if he could show her how to bat when she saw him whacking a few tennis balls into a net.

Cricket's county champions are still planning for a truncated season and believe a Twenty20 Blast-dominated schedule will help the game avoid the financial black hole facing football.

The dream of becoming the first brothers to play Test cricket together for England since the Hollioakes is sustaining Tom and Sam Curran as they endure being apart during lockdown.

Phil Neville played alongside former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff for Lancashire's age-group sides, and also went on to make an appearance for their second XI before turning to football.

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Eight months on and the noise of that unforgiving Edgbaston crowd is still ringing in Cameron Bancroft's ears. 'It was loud, it was intimidating.'

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist believe pay cuts are inevitable for the country's cricketers as the sport gears up to deal with the financial crisis.

Can you guess the England cricket star who posted a throwback picture of himself alongside his sister on Instagram? He's wearing his first Nottingham Forest shirt in the photo.

If cricket returns while Covid-19 is still a threat, bowlers will be asked to throw clothing and other things such as sunglasses beyond the boundary rope instead of handing to officials.

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Eoin Morgan's side are scheduled to face the Aussies in three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals from July 3-16.

EXCLUSIVE BY PAUL NEWMAN: Cricket's biggest counties are most in danger of collapsing under the financial pressure of the coronavirus pandemic, claims Richard Thompson.

Twenty20 record breaker Chris Gayle has signed for St Lucia Zouks for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League.

Almost the whole squad were stricken by two sickness bugs, the first a type of flu and the second a stomach problem, that weakened England in their heavy first Test defeat over Christmas.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY PAUL NEWMAN: Luke Sutton is looking back on the chance meeting almost nine years ago with his old Lancashire captain that quite possibly saved his life.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Sportsmail has learned that all players are entitled to 12.5 per cent of their deals even if the competition does not take place.

SPECIAL REPORT: There are growing concerns that the new franchise-based tournament is unaffordable given the challenges facing cricket amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Sportsmail revealed in November that assistant coach Paul Collingwood had already been earmarked to take charge of the one-day home series against Ireland, scheduled for September.

The ECB had initially announced that no cricket would be played in the UK until May 28 at the earliest, but - as expected - the pandemic has caused a further delay.

The ECB have delayed the 2020 season until at least July 1, leaving just three months to complete the remaining nine County Championship rounds, the Twenty20 Blast and the new Hundred competition.

The prospect of the sanctioned use of artificial substances to alter the condition of the red ball, under the supervision of umpires, has been debated this week by the ICC's medical committee.

Next month is the 10th anniversary of England's first global title with the World T20 which they won with a resounding victory over the Australians at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

ECB chief Tom Harrison revealed on Friday that he had offers 'on the table' from both New Zealand and Australia, as English cricket explores all options in a bid to fulfil its fixture list.

In a report seen by Sportsmail, consultants Oakwell Sports Advisory recommend selling a stake in each of the eight franchises to private equity as a potential solution to the financial issues.

Australia were due to play three ODIs and three Twenty20s against England from July 3 and ECB chief executive Tom Harrison last week expressed hopes that they would still go ahead.

The Hundred's inaugural season is set to be formally delayed at a board meeting of the England and Wales Board Cricket Board.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: Hampshire are willing to host more than one Test this summer, with chief Rod Bransgrove confident club can help get cricket up and running again in a biosecure environment.

NASSER HUSSAIN and DARREN GOUGH come together for Sportsmail via Zoom to talk about old times, this England team and what the Dazzler did next…

One of the deepest thinkers in the England squad has concerns over the safety of players and concerns about playing cricket while so many people are losing their lives.

Eoin Morgan's world champions are now eight points clear of India following their dominance in the format over recent years with New Zealand, the defeated finalists at Lord's last July, in third.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: The ECB will become the first governing body or league in the country to lose domestic television income as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: The summer of 1970 remains unique in the annals of English cricket. South Africa, the scheduled tourists, were ditched after protests.

England were scheduled to play Tests in Galle and Colombo in March before the coronavirus outbreak shut down sport worldwide as countries introduced lockdown measures to prevent the spread.

We still don't know for sure when we will start playing again but I'm going to assume that it will be July 1. That's my target date, and that means I am aiming to be in the best shape possible to bowl.

EXCLUSIVE By MATT HUGHES: The ECB will face opposition from MCC and counties who play at major Test venues if they seek to sell stakes in Hundred franchises to private equity,

Cricket manufacturer Kookaburra have developed a wax applicator that would allow balls to be shined without using sweat or saliva during the coronavirus crisis.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY PAUL NEWMAN: Key winces at the revelation that his close friend Andrew Flintoff believes he was one of the great English batsmen against fast bowling.

Dukes, the manufacturers of balls used in English home Tests, have dismissed the need for artificial substances to aid shining if international cricket is played this summer.

ECB are asking players to take 20 per cent pay cuts if the Hundred's original draft list is kept for 2021. The retention of the eight 15-man squads on 80 per cent of their agreed terms would save £1.536million.

England's Test stars reportedly face strict bio-secure measures as part of ambitious plans to ensure their summer series' against West Indies and Pakistan are staged.

With ECB chief Tom Harrison warning of a £380m black hole in the game's finances if no cricket is possible, Connor remains hopeful England will still be able to face India and South Africa.

With no live cricket being played due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Sportsmail columnists Nasser Hussain and David Lloyd are answering your questions.

Mark Wood, the England fast bowler who has produced the best form of his career over the last year or so, says the players have 'asked good questions' and have been given 'good answers'.

Sportsmail's experts give their views on what the 61-year-old former FA chief executive must do to ensure English cricket survives, recovers and improves.