India’s refusal to feature in the 5th and final Test against England at Manchester due to fears of Covid-19 has strained relationships between the two teams. While many in the English cricket fraternity are criticising Virat Kohli-led Indian management, some cricketers are reportedly even looking to pull out from the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
At least one of the England players, a part of the Test series against India, is looking to pull out from IPL 2021 after Team India’s unwillingness to feature in the 5th Test led to its cancellation.
Indian Cricket Team’s Refusal To Play 5th Test Strained Relationships
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have had a healthy relationship with each other. However, after Team India’s 11th-hour withdrawal from the Old Trafford match, many English cricketers are said to be left unamused.
Some members of the England team claim that they had even spotted the Indian players roaming around in Manchester on Thursday even though they were supposed to remain inside their hotel rooms due to the Covid-19 scenario in the camp.
The cancellation of the Test is said to cost the ECB and others involved in organizing the match several millions of pounds. What has infuriated the hosts most is the fact that the match could’ve been deferred by a day or two if the resumption of IPL 2021 on September 19 wasn’t at stake.
At Least One Among Five Cricketers Of Test Squad Participating In The UAE Leg Of IPL 2021 May Pull Out
While the BCCI is busy planning its players’ departure from the UK to UAE, 5 England Test players are also supposed to participate in the extravagant T20 league. At least one of those five players — Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan, and Chris Woakes — is said to be thinking of pulling out from IPL 2021 because of the 5th Test’s cancellation.
The aforementioned five England players are supposed to travel to UAE with the Indian contingent and serve 6 days of quarantine upon their arrival.
At 6 PM on Thursday, the England cricket team was reportedly informed of the Indian team’s availability for the match since all of them had tested negative for Covid-19.
Later, however, they were informed of the players’ unwillingness to go ahead with the match amid the risk of catching the virus. Most of the English players even travelled to the ground to collect their kits while the spectators had also started to show up.
List & Status of England Cricketers in IPL 2021:
- Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) 4.4 Crore – Has pulled out of IPL already citing birth of his child.
- Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals) – 7.2 Crore, Has pulled out due to injury
- Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals) – 12.5 Cr, pulled out citing mental health issues
- Liam Livingstone (Rajasthan Royals) – 0.75 Cr – Injured & doubtful
- Eoin Morgan (KKR – 5.25 Cr), Sam Curran (CSK – 5.5 Cr), Moeen Ali (CSK – 7 Crore), Jonny Bairstow (SRH – 2.2 Crore), Tom Curran (DC – 5.5 Cr), Sam Billings (DC – 2 Crore), Chris Woakes (DC – 1.5 Cr), Chris Jordan (PBKS – 3 Crore), Dawid Malan (PBKS – 1.5 Cr), Jason Roy (SRH – 2 Cr),