The fifth Test match between England and India in Manchester was suspended after the Indian team expressed fears about the spread of COVID-19 in their camp. Several members of the Indian support staff contracted COVID ahead of the fifth and final Test of the series, which resulted in them requesting the ECB and BCCI to not go ahead with the match.
Reports have stated that the suspension of the match could cost the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) around £30 million. Insurance doesn’t cover matches that have been suspended because of COVID-19 related reasons, which is why the ECB will make huge losses. The ECB’s first statement stated that the match was forfeited by India, which would’ve been covered under insurance, which would have resulted in significantly lesser losses for the board.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison revealed after the announcement that the match will not take place and the Indian team did not want to take part in the fifth Test as they feared an outbreak in the Indian team.
“This is not a Covid cancellation. This is a match canceled because of serious concerns over the mental health and well-being of one of the teams. There is a difference. But it doesn’t make a difference in respect of ticket buyers; they will be paid back in full. It makes a difference in terms of the ECB balance sheet,” said Harrison.
Harrison stated that the mental health of the players should not be taken lightly and praised the Indians as being wonderful tourists in the five-match Test series.
None of the Indian players tested positive for COVID-19 the night before the match, but a few members of the support staff – coach Ravi Shastri, fielding coach R Sridhar, bowling coach Bharat Arun, and the team’s physio Yogesh Parmar, had all tested positive before the fifth and final Test of the tour.
The Indian team was not keen on continuing as they would have had to quarantine for 10 days in the UK if they had tested positive for COVID-19, which would’ve ruled them out for the restart of the IPL. The IPL resumes on September 19 and will be held in UAE.
Harrison explained that the ICC will not adjudicate on the status of the fifth Test of the tour. The Indian cricket board, BCCI, wants to play the final Test on a future date, perhaps next year, when the Indian team returns to England to play ODIs and T20s. India leads the series 2-1, having won at Lord’s and The Oval.
