On Wednesday, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison “volunteered” to take the same 25 percent pay cut as other employees in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, when Harrison unveiled the ECB’s 61 million pounds ($76 million) aid package in response to the “once in a generation” challenge of COVID-19 he said he would take a pay cut. On Wednesday, the ECB unveiled the details.

In a statement released by the ECB, they said they will consult with the staff to reduced employees’ salaries for two months. It said, “Proposed cuts will vary according to the employee’s job grade, ranging from 25 percent to 10 percent. The executive management team and the board will receive a salary reduction of 20 percent, while chief executive officer Tom Harrison has volunteered a 25 percent reduction.”

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Harrison has an annual salary of some 720,000 pounds ($892,000). Some staff will be “asked to consent” to being place on the furlough scheme that will see the UK government pay as much as 80 percent of their salary up to £2,500 per month, with the ECB paying the extra 20 percent of the reduced salary.

Meanwhile, the ECB will freeze recruitment in 2020 for all but “critical roles” if an employee decides to leave the board.

Describing the same, Harrison said, “Yesterday (Tuesday), we rolled out an interim financial package which is fundamental to ensuring the short-term survival of the professional and recreational cricket network. Today, we have made a difficult but important announcement to cut central costs through a number of measures — all with a desire to protect jobs in the long-term and ensure we are better prepared to weather the storm ahead.”

Harrison said Tuesday there were no plans to ask the leading English players for a pat cut, with the start of the domestic season delayed until at least May 28 and doubt over the future of lucrative tours by the West Indies, Pakistan and Australia.

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Talkin about the same, the limited-overs skipper, Eoin Morgan, asked earlier on Wednesday if he would accept a pay cut, he said: “I’m extremely willing to help where I know it will make a difference…I’m open to absolutely everything.”