Tom Harrison, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO has said that it was frustrating to see the fifth Test between England and India being cancelled and the board tried its best to avoid this outcome.
The 5th and final Test match between India and England which was scheduled to begin on September 10 at Old Trafford, Manchester was cancelled after the Covid-19 fear across the Indian camp with staff testing positive. Notably, ahead of the 5th Test match junior physio Yogesh Parmer tested positive for Covid-19 in Manchester and many Indian players were in close contact with him.
Tom Harrison Is Disappointed For The 5th Test’s Cancellation
Although later the reports of Indian players were found negative still there were a lot of risks involved after the Covid-19 outbreak in the camp. Meanwhile, previously Head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar, were found positive for Covid-19 and they did not travel with the team to London for the 5th and final Test.
“A huge amount has happened over the last 24 hours, and from one cricket lover to another, I want to say how sorry I am for all the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of this Test match.
“We were all looking forward to what promised to be the culmination of this brilliant Test Series, and I’m so disappointed at not being able to get the match played,” said ECB chief Tom Harrison in an official statement.
“I have heard many stories today of people who planned for months or saved hard during this pandemic to have a special day out with friends and family. To not see that happen is hard to take. Today’s news will have been so frustrating, especially given the short notice. Please know that we worked through the night to find solutions and avoid this outcome,” Tom Harrison added.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also offered to the England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB ) for rescheduling the cancelled Test match.
Tom Harrison: Refunds To Ticket Holders Will Be Issued Shortly And ECB Will Try To Reschedule The Test Next Year
ECB chief Tom Harrison was frustrated to see that fans were unable to witness the highly anticipated match between the top Test sides in the world. He also stated that they worked really hard to find a solution and avoid this outcome however they failed.
Further in his statement, Harrison said: “Refunds to ticket holders will be issued shortly, and although this will be no consolation to many, we will try to reschedule this long-awaited Emirates Old Trafford Test next summer. Thank you for all your support for England Cricket. It means a great deal to all of us.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled 5th Test match which was scheduled to be played at Manchester from Friday. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the game.
Ahead of the fifth and final Test against England, physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 in Manchester. This had led to Team India’s training session for Thursday afternoon being cancelled.
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.