Sussex chief executive Rob Andrew says clubs must plan for the possibility that no county cricket will be played this summer.
The 2020 season has been put on hold until at least 28 May because of the coronavirus crisis.
And Sussex have already placed most of their non-playing staff on furlough for the time being.
“We have to think about the worst case scenario,” former England rugby fly-half Andrew told BBC Radio Sussex.
“We’re all having to make decisions that we never dreamt we’d be making, even three or four weeks ago. We’re having to make decisions that try and protect the future of the club into the next six to 12 months because we just don’t know quite what the future holds.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board had made three months of funding, totalling £40m, available to support the 18 first-class counties.
And the governing body is making a further £20m available for grassroots clubs.
The County Championship was due to begin on 12 April, followed by the T20 Blast on 28 May. The One-day Cup was to follow later in the summer, along with the ECB’s new The Hundred competition.
“The reality is that we have to think about – it’s hard to imagine this – the possibility that there may not be any cricket this summer,” Andrew added. “That’s how extraordinary this circumstance is.
“We have to think about the unthinkable which is the possibility if we’re not able to (play), we have to try and survive this summer without any cricket, which is the reason we exist. It’s very, very challenging, undoubtedly.”
