With cricket in England put on pause until at least May 28, centrally contracted players are potentially going to lose around 20 per cent of their annual income. For cross-format regulars who normally earn in the region of £1 million per year, that would mean a loss of income of around £200,000.

An ECB spokesperson said: “We’re looking at everything about how the game can make savings. There is a formal process to go through with centrally contracted players but the game needs to pull together at this time. We believe the players realise the bigger picture.”

The first Test of England’s series against West Indies is due to get begin on June 4, less than 10 weeks away from now.