England vs India 2021: Hopefully We Can Have The Manchester Test On Some Other Time - ECB Chief Tom Harrison

The ECB chief executive Tom Harrison stated that the Manchester Test can be held at another time but it most likely will be played as a standalone Test. He feels that the Indian team has been great tourists but also stated that the pandemic life is tough on everybody.

The fifth Test between England and India was canceled in the wake of a covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp. Measures were taken but it proved to be futile in the end and the match was called off based on mutual agreement. Harrison spoke to BBC about the possibility of holding the match at a later time.

“Any rescheduled match would be a standalone match. It’s been a long night. It’s just really sad. 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 told to BBC.

“We expect people that are in place to make those decisions” – Tom Harrison

When questioned about the result of the series, Harrison stated that the authorities responsible for it will decide on it. For now, he was more concerned about getting underneath the problem that caused the match to be canceled.

“Today is all about making sure we have fronted this in terms of what has happened, why it has happened, what the situation is with respect to the immediate turn. Thoughts will turn to that soon. That is not a decision for us, it’s a decision for ICC to think about in the context of the World Test Championship.“

“Nobody is trying to score points here. It’s about making the right decisions given the context of what’s taking place and being fair to each side. That is all we are asking for and that process will take place over the coming weeks. It is not something that concerns us unduly. We just expect the people that are in place to make those decisions,” Harrison concluded.

Virat Kohli and co. will likely head to the UAE for the second leg of the IPL 2021 which is scheduled to commence on September 19.

Also Read – England vs India 2021: Michael Vaughan Expresses Disappointment After Manchester Test Was Called Off