South African Cricketers’ Association chief executive officer Andrew Breetzke has effectively assured players short-term financial security despite an early end to the 2019-20 season.

The South African domestic season, like cricket elsewhere around the world, was halted as a preventative measure against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

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‘Given how things have changed so quickly in the last month, one cannot cast things in stone, and we have to be realistic about that,’ Breetzke told Sport24.

‘We’re confident that there will be no impact upon players’ salaries, but how other player money gets distributed depending on what transpires, we’re going to have to have an open mind as to what we do.

‘We lost the last two weeks of the season, basically, so that was just before a natural break we were going to have anyway.

‘That has been to our benefit as compared to the United Kingdom, where county cricket was due to start and now, they’re in a bit of trouble.

‘The second is that one of the things that has been a weakness in cricket, funnily enough, is probably a bit of a strength in a crisis like this in that we are very centralised.’

Whether the Proteas’ tours of Sri Lanka and the West Indies go ahead later this year remain in the balance. Their March tour of India for three ODIs was suspended prematurely, also due to the spread of the virus.

‘The impact that it is undoubtedly going to have on sponsors and broadcasters is significant. It’s a reality and something we have to think about and plan for. It’s a bit of wait and see at the moment. We are in constant communication daily with CSA on those matters,’ added Breetzke.

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