Cricket’s bushfire appeal game in Melbourne in February raised $7.7m and featured Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram and Yuvraj Singh.

The ACA also took a Masters team overseas for the first time last month. Brett Lee, Brad Haddin and Brad Hodge headlined an Australian side that played in the T20 Road Safety World Series, which also involved Sachin Tendulkar, Lara, Virender Sehwag, Muttiah Muralitharan, Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. It ended up having to be called off after four matches in Mumbai because of COVID-19 but was televised on the subcontinent.

The planning to turn back the clock this summer is still in its early stages but one idea already tossed up, as an example of what could be done, is reforming the Australia and Australia A teams that famously competed against each other during a one-day international quad series in 1994/95.

The series, which pitted a full Australian side against a star-studded A team including Ponting, Damien Martyn, Matthew Hayden, Merv Hughes, Justin Langer and Darren Lehmann, is such a cult favourite it was even the subject of an eight-episode retrospective by The Greatest Season That Was podcast over last summer.

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“Our members love the game and understand that they have an opportunity to help cricket and broadcasters in this disrupted landscape,” said Tim Cruickshank, the former NSW batsman who is general manager of The Cricketers' Brand at the ACA.

“Broadcasters need content to drive their business models – and the ACA has over 1500 members, being past and present players, who are happy to give back to the game.

“While it is a challenging time for sport, The Cricketers’ Brand will allow broadcasters, sponsors and fans [to have] a more direct relationship with the players which we hope will be for the mutual benefit of the players and the game.”

The ACA said any proceeds would be passed on to past players in need, and charities and funds supporting the fight against the virus.