'No Chance' Of ECB Acceding To BCCI’s Request To Prepone The Test Series

With the 14th season of the Indian Premier League getting suspended due to multiple Covid positive cases, the BCCI is currently brainstorming on finding a potential window in the months of September and October to complete the remaining 31 games to avert significant financial loss.

While the UAE option is already at the table, in the past few days there have been reports in the media about the BCCI requesting the ECB to prepone the England-India Test series by one week.

The five-match Test series is currently slated to start in Nottingham on August 04 and culminate on September 14 at Old Trafford, Manchester.

If the ECB does accede to BCCI’s request and brings forward the Test series by one week, it will give the latter a 3-week window to complete the remaining 31 games of the 14th season.

But, that is unlikely to happen, according to a BCCI official, who has been quoted in a report by PTI that says that there is ‘no chance’ of ECB giving their nod to the Indian board’s request.

And, frankly, the ECB have a lot of justified reasons to deny BCCI’s request. The ECB have already announced the full-fledged schedule of the 2021 summer and making any changes to it will create significant logistical issues for the governing body and the various counties who are scheduled to host those matches.

Secondly, the ECB is going to launch their marquee tournament ‘The Hundred’ at the peak of English summer between July 24-August 21.

And, so, preponing the Test series will mean that superstar English Test players will not be available for the ‘Hundred’.

In an interview with PTI, the BCCI official said that the informal talks between the bigwigs of BCCI and ECB haven’t reached a fruitful conclusion and so it’s unlikely that the former will proceed with an official request.

“There is no chance of ECB acceding to BCCI’s request of shifting the dates of the Test series. Since they have made their standpoint clear informally, I don’t think there is any point of making a formal request,” a senior BCCI source in the know of things told PTI.

“The ECB have their inaugural ‘Hundred’ from July 24 to August 21. Their broadcast deals and everything is in place. So there is no chance of any shift happening,” the source stated.

‘Hard to see the ECB acceding to BCCI’s request’- Michael Atherton

Recently, former England captain and celebrated commentator and author, Michael Atherton, in his column for the ‘Times’, echoed the same thing.

Atherton cited the example of the Lancashire County Club, which has already pre-sold tickets for the final Test that is scheduled to take place between September 10-14.

The former England captain further stated that if the ECB acceded to BCCI’s request, not only will it create a logistic nightmare for the board and the counties, it will also unfair for the fans who have already planned their leaves and bought tickets according to the current schedule.

”At this late stage it is hard to see the ECB acceding to any potential change and it is expected to hold its ground. The fifth Test of the India series is due to be held at Emirates Old Trafford between September 10-14. Lancashire have already pre-sold three full days, and with a fair wind between now and then, would expect to sell the match out completely,” wrote Michael Atherton in the ‘Times’

“Moving the game at this late stage to earlier in the season would create logistical headaches fo,r Lancashire, the ECB and the England team, not to say those spectators who have spent money and planned to attend,” he reasoned.

Also Read: BCCI’s Promised Compensation To First-Class Players Still Pending After One Year