While there is still lack of clarification on the final scoreline of the Test series between England and India after the final match was cancelled, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO Tom Harrison has said that a rearranged game would be a standalone and called 'one-off' rather than part of a series.
After the Indian players returned negative RT-PCR tests, the final Test at Manchester was set to be going ahead before both BCCI and ECB mutually decided to call off the game and hold it at a later date with concerns in the Indian camp after the assistant physio has tested positive for COVID-19 a day before the scheduled start of the game.
Talking about the same, Harrison said that it was a long night for them talking to the Indian board members, who are in the UAE busy in IPL preparations while expressing his displeasure at the cancellation.
Talking to BBC, Harrison said, "Any rescheduled match would be a standalone match. You can’t be flippant about issues of mental health, and this is what this is about. India have been wonderful tourists, but they have been here for a long time."
“Playing at this level, week after week, is difficult. Even if we feel we are emerging from the pandemic, life is different for the players. When Covid creeps into an environment, it can accelerate very quickly. Hopefully we can get this Test on some other time, but it won’t be the same as it having the conclusion after four brilliant matches," he added.
While Lancashire Cricket Club was naturally disappointed with a Test match at Old Trafford after three years getting cancelled, Harrison said that their main aim is to now give the fans in Manchester what they missed and will look forward to achieving that.
"The glass-half-full version of this is the prospect of us playing a one-off Test match against India as a focal point on this ground, to come back and give fans the thing they've missed out on this time, let's try and work on that and see if we can deliver it. It would be wonderful. It would be the only good news that comes out of a day like today," Harrison further said.
BCCI too in their release said that both the board will now work together towards finding the window for the rescheduled Test 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."
