As Britain is looking to reopen sporting venues for spectators after a lockdown forced by Covid-19 pandemic, the third and final ODI between England and Pakistan, scheduled to be held on July 13, will be played in front of 80 percent crowd capacity, it has been announced.
“Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has again been confirmed as part of the Government’s Events Research Programme (ERP) and will operate at 80 per cent capacity for the Royal London International (ODI) between England and Pakistan,” a statement from Warwickshire County Cricket Club said.
“Taking place on Tuesday 13 July, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 19,000 fans, including under 16s, in the stadium bowl and hospitality lounges without social distancing as part of the research study,” it added.
It has also been said that fans wishing to attend the game will need to show a negative COVID Lateral Flow Test result or proof of two vaccinations (first and second dose) at least 14 days before the fixture.
Earlier this month, Edgbaston had successfully hosted the second Test between England and New Zealand with around 60,000 spectators (70 per cent capacity) across four days.
“The recent Test match gave us a fantastic opportunity to build a new model for large scale sporting events and I am pleased to see elements of this first trial being carried forward for the Pakistan match,” said Stuart Cain, chief executive at Edgbaston.
“Technology played a big part in this and we will again focus on using this as a way of creating a safe environment whilst enhancing Edgbaston’s reputation as one of the best atmospheres in world cricket,” he added.