All professional cricket has been cancelled

in Australia in response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Right down to children’s community games,

national organisers are “strongly recommending” that the remainder of the

season be called off at all levels.

Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin

Roberts called the move a preventative measure aimed at slowing the spread of

the virus.

“By effectively cancelling the remainder of

our season, Cricket Australia is playing its part in protecting fans, players,

staff, volunteers and match officials during this unprecedented global health

issue,” Roberts said.

The governing body of the sport in Australia

declared New South Wales state the winner of the Sheffield Shield, the national

firsts-class competition. The last round of the regular season in the Sheffield

Shield had already been scrapped.

New South Wales won six games, lost two and

drew one in the Shield, finishing 12 points clear of Victoria state.

International cricket series between Australia and New Zealand had already been

cancelled.

The cancellation comes nine days after

Australia hosted and won the women’s Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final against

India, attended by more than 86,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.