It has been a week since the postponement of the test series between India and England and as it seems, the English media and the fans of the England cricket teams can still not get over the issue that has been long sorted out by the two boards.
Around a week ago, Team India head coach Ravi Shastri and a few other members of the coaching staff tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting a Book reveal ceremony in England along with the rest of the team. Although all the players of team India tested negative in both the tests that were conducted, few of them disagreed to take the field due to the fear of the virus and team India were unable to ‘field a team’ for the fifth test. As India already had a 2-1 lead, it was earlier thought that the visitors would be declared the winners of the series but the ECB later proposed that the fifth test should be held in 2022 which was agreed upon by the BCCI.
But this decision has seemingly not satisfied the English media and they have still not stopped criticizing the Indian contingent for the postponement of the fifth test and the man they are most angry with is head coach Ravi Shastri.
Let us take a look at how the English media reacted to the entire incident.
Daily Mail in its report stated, “Why have India refused to play if not a single player has tested positive? India’s players are desperate not to miss the resumption of the lucrative Indian Premier League in the UAE from September 19. It seems they took the precaution of cancelling their pre-match training session and isolating in their hotel rooms to this end.
“Indian head coach Ravi Shastri had tested positive after attending a busy book launch in a London hotel, along with the entire Indian squad. The ECB were already fuming about a decision which, they believed, jeopardised the Manchester Test, and this morning there were suggestions that members of the touring party were seen out and about in Manchester yesterday – despite promises from the BCCI after the book-launch controversy that they would tighten their protocols ahead of the fifth Test,” it added.
Famous media outlet BBC also believes that the main reason why the BCCI postponed the 5th test was the Indian Premier League.
“This is quite bizarre because last night the players all passed their PCR tests. We went to bed thinking the match would go ahead.”
“I suspect the IPL would have a lot to do with this. It starts in 10 days’ time. The players are on huge contacts. The IPL is worth £300m to the BCCI. They are desperate to protect their product and the players protect their contracts. This stands to cost the ECB £20m, one assumes there would be some negotiations about that with the BCCI. It is a shame Covid has interfered with a brilliant series,’ BBC correspondent wrote.
