India vs England 2021: Still no clarity on series result amid talk of rescheduling

The
England
and
Wales
Cricket
Board’s
(ECB)
statement
on
the
match
went
from
India
“unable
to
field
a
team
and
will
instead
forfeit
the
match”
to
India
“regrettably
unable
to
field
a
team”
after
skipper
Virat
Kohli
led
a
steadfast
refusal
by
the
visiting
players
to
take
the
field.

The
development
came
after
the
tourists
were
left
on
tenterhooks
following
physio
Yogesh
Parmar’s
positive
COVID-19
test
that
led
to
concerns
that
the
infection
could
spread
during
the
match.

India
vs
England
5th
Test:
The
Old
Trafford
Test
cancelled
due
to
Covid-19
scare

As
for
the
series,
its
status
was
not
clear.
India
are
2-1
ahead
and
have
not
been
officially
declared
winners.

The
Board
of
Control
for
Cricket
in
India
(BCCI)
has
claimed
that
both
boards
will
work
towards
rescheduling
the
match.

“In
lieu
of
the
strong
relationship
between
BCCI
and
ECB,
the
BCCI
has
offered
to
ECB
a
rescheduling
of
the
cancelled
Test
match.
Both
the
Boards
will
work
towards
finding
a
window
to
reschedule
this
Test
match,”
BCCI
secretary
Jay
Shah
said.

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

However,
ECB
CEO
Tom
Harrison
said
the
game
would
be
a
one-off
instead
of
being
a
decider
for
the
series.

“No,
I
think
it’s
a
stand-alone
situation.
We’ve
been
offered
a
few
other
options,
probably
need
to
take
a
look
(at
those),”
Harrison
told

Sky
Sports.

India
to
tour
England
for
3
ODIs,
3
T20Is
in
July
2022;
Find
dates
and
venues

The
only
plausible
window
for
such
an
arrangement
seems
to
be
July
next
year
when
the
India
team
visits
England
for
a
six-match
white-ball
series.

It
is
understood
that
the
COVID-19
rules
for
the
World
Test
Championship
(WTC)
matches
do
not
include
forfeiture
and
that
is
where
Kohli
and
his
men
were
able
to
get
their
way.

Under
the
competition
terms
of
the
WTC,
COVID-19
is
identified
as
“acceptable
non-compliance
should
there
be
a
significant
impact
of
it
on
the
team
being
able
to
play.”

Harrison
rubbishes
IPL
conspiracy,
cites
India
players
fatigue
after
bubble
life

The
chances
of
the
Indian
Premier
League’s
(IPL)
schedule,
starting
September
19,
going
haywire
were
also
taken
into
account
as
broadcasters
and
franchises
would
not
have
taken
the
delay
lightly.

“There
is
no
guarantee
that
post
Ravi
Shastri’s
book
release
function
which
the
team
attended,
there
won’t
be
more
cases.
So
players
were
wary
and
more
so
about
being
in
isolation
for
10
days,”
a
source
said.

BCCI
may
probe
Virat
Kohli,
team
members
attending
Ravi
Shastri
book
launch

That
book
release
function
has
caused
uneasiness
within
the
BCCI
with
an
official
saying
that
no
permissions
were
sought
despite
clear
message
from
Shah
to
avoid
gatherings.

“No
permission
was
sought
either
from
president
(Sourav
Ganguly)
or
from
the
secretary
(Jay
Shah).
Perhaps
they
might’ve
thought
that
since
health
safety
rules
have
been
relaxed
in
the
UK,
they
didn’t
need
permission,”
the
senior
official,
privy
to
the
developments,
told

PTI
news
agency
on
conditions
of
anonymity.