Due to Covid-19 concerns in the Indian camp on Friday, the fifth and final Test between India and England in Manchester was canceled. The BCCI secretary Jay Shah stated that the decision to cancel the fifth Test was made in collaboration with the ECB and that the two boards will work together to identify a time to reschedule the game in the future.
The BCCI and the ECB met numerous times to find a solution to play the Test Match. However, the outbreak of Covid-19 among the Indian team’s contingent caused the cancellation of the Old Trafford Test Match.
The BCCI has offered the ECB a reschedule of the canceled Test match because of the excellent connection between the two organizations. Both Boards will attempt to establish a time when this Test match may be rescheduled.” The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had previously released an official statement announcing the match’s cancellation.
Read also: Is Indian cricket looking at split captaincy post England series?
India will be unable to field a squad due to concerns over an increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp. We sincerely apologize for this news, which we know will cause great disappointment and difficulty to many of our fans and partners. In due course, more information will be shared,” the ECB stated in a statement.
The Indian players were still in the dark about the Covid-19-affected game in Manchester on Friday morning. The Indian cricketers were alone in their hotel rooms with only a few hours till their planned departure to the field, wondering if they would be invited to play the critical Test that would decide the series’ results. The players eagerly anticipated any updates on the team Whatsapp group, with the England and India boards in negotiations until late Thursday night.
The Indian team’s support staff, including assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar, returned Covid positive on the eve of the Manchester Test, causing doubt. The ECB was anxious to keep the schedule after the last set of RT-PCR testing on Indian players came back negative, but the players themselves had misgivings.
Read also: Fifth Test: India on verge of history in final Test vs England
The Indian players held a meeting on Thursday evening, during which the bulk of the team members voiced their unwillingness to play the fifth Test. According to reports, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning in the United Arab Emirates on September 19, players are cautious of the danger concerns.
Several players with various niggles, including Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammed Shami, and Ishant Sharma, were monitored by Parmar throughout and after the fourth Test, which finished on Monday.
