Michael Atherton believes that Covid-19 or the IPL alone is not a factor and that three factors overall and their combination resulted in the abandonment of the deciding 5th and final Test at the Old Trafford Cricket Stadium in Manchester. The cancellation of the fifth Test between India and England in Manchester came as a big let-down for players and fans alike.
With India leading the series 2-1, the final deciding Test promised to be a mouth-watering clash, but the match never happened, and a lot is being talked about what could have been the reason behind it. Former England captain Michael Atherton is the latest to present his views.
Michael Atherton: Covid-19, Player Power And IPL 2021 Combined To Manchester Test Abandonment
While the Covid-19 scare is certainly one of them, with India’s assistant physio Yogesh Parmar testing positive for the virus, there could be more factors that led to the calling off of the Manchester Test. Some reports claim that Indian players, despite testing negative on the eve of the match, were reluctant to take the field, while some others are blaming the IPL, believing that players prioritized the IPL since the tournament was to resume from September 19.
However, Michael Atherton has offered a fresh take on the entire episode. Michael Atherton believes that Covid or the IPL alone is not a factor and that three factors overall and their combination resulted in the abandonment of the Manchester Test.
“That there has been so little international cricket lost to Covid is, amid the anger and sadness, a surprise too. Authorities recognized that they could not ask players to operate in last summer’s strict bio-secure bubbles, as society was opening up again. Inevitably this relaxation increased the risk of a Covid outbreak.
“County games have been affected this summer, as was the ODI series against Pakistan, which required a whole new England squad, and now a Test match has gone, although space will probably be found in the calendar at some point to mitigate the loss of broadcast income,” Michael Atherton wrote.
Michael Atherton Points Out That There Was A Potential Danger Over The Manchester Test Due To The Proximity Of The IPL
“The proximity of the IPL was always a potential danger hanging over the Manchester Test: before the summer began there were pointed discussions between the ECB and BCCI about rescheduling the fifth Test for earlier in the summer, something the ECB held firm on. India’s players were concerned that further positive tests would result in a ten-day isolation period in England, thus meaning they would miss the start of the tournament, while the cost to the BCCI of not staging the IPL is about £360 million,” Michael Atherton further wrote.
“After the India players’ stated reluctance on Thursday evening, officials from the ECB and BCCI were locked in discussions throughout the night to try to navigate a way through the situation, with the ECB providing whatever assurances it could around the safety and well-being of the players.
“No solution was forthcoming, which reflects on where the balance of power lies in the modern game. Once the players had spoken, there was little the administrators could do about it. Players have never been more powerful than now,” Michael Atherton said.
The players started departing in clusters — some in charter flights arranged by their franchises like Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad while Chennai Super Kings cricketers took commercial flights. The ECB has written to the ICC seeking an outcome to the Test series. Although the BCCI has stated that the Indian board and the ECB are hoping to work towards staging the cancelled Test match, nothing is concrete yet.