ECB has written to ICC on outcome of cancelled fifth Test against India, says spokesperson

The
series-deciding
fifth
and
final
Test
in
Manchester
was
called
off
after
a
COVID-19
outbreak
in
the
Indian
camp
forced
its
senior
players
to
express
their
apprehensions
to
both
the
BCCI
and
ECB
on
going
ahead
with
the
match.

“Yes
we
have
written
to
the
ICC,”
an
ECB
spokesperson
told
PTI
when
asked
if
they
want
the
global
body
to
decide
on
the
fifth
Test.

Heading
into
game,
India
led
the
rubber
2-1.
The
standalone
Test
will
not
be
part
of
this
series.

The
ECB
wants
the
ICC’s
Dispute
Resolution
Committee
to
address
the
issue
and
expect
that
a
forfeiture
would
be
granted
so
that
they
can
claim
insurance
as
they
are
going
to
lose
40
million
pound
if
the
match
is
declared
abandoned
due
to
COVID.

India
vs
England:
ECB
likely
to
write
to
ICC
to
decide
on
outcome
of
fifth
Test

COVID
is
an
acceptable
non
compliance
and
the
Indian
camp
has
stated
that
it
was
unable
to
field
a
team
for
the
match.

However,
the
ECB’s
contention
could
be
that
the
Indian
players
returned
two
negative
RT-PCR
results
and
were
still
reluctant
to
play.

Seniors
such
as
skipper
Virat
Kohli
didn”t
budge
from
their
stance
that
there
was
risk
involved
during
the
incubation
period,
which
overlapped
with
Test
dates
as
most
players
were
treated
by
physio
Yogesh
Parmar,
who
is
in
isolation
after
contracting
the
virus.

If
the
ICC
rules
the
Test
as
abandoned,
then
India
will
win
the
series
2-1
but
if
England
get
a
forfeiture
as
per
the
DRC
ruling,
it
will
be
a
2-2
verdict
and
the
host
nation
can
also
claim
insurance.

BCCI
says
it
is
working
with
ECB
to
reschedule
the
cancelled
fifth
Test
at
Manchester

The
ECB
going
to
the
ICC
proves
that
there
hasn’t
been
an
amicable
settlement
yet
on
the
issue
as
the
host
board
stares
at
losses.

If
it
is
ruled
in
favour
of
India,
ECB
stands
to
incur
huge
losses
as
most
of
the
40
million
pound
is
not
covered
under
COVID-19
insurance.

The
Indian
cricketers
have
already
left
UK
and
most
of
them
have
touched
base
in
the
UAE
with
their
respective
IPL
franchises.

It
goes
without
saying
that
the
BCCI’s
apprehension
was
the
IPL
schedule
going
haywire
in
case
any
of
the
top
players
tested
positive
during
the
course
of
the
now-cancelled
Test.