With little happening, we’re going to wrap up this blog. Here’s a summary of a miserable day:
The fifth Test between England and India was cancelled shortly before 9am due to concerns among the Indian players about the Covid cases in their camp.
The ECB’s official statement said India had forfeited the game, which would have meant a 2-2 series draw, but was soon changed to remove the F-word.
The BCCI have offered to play the game at a later date if possible, though if this happens it is likely be a one-off Test rather than part of the 2021 series.
The official result of the match is yet to be determined.
The ECB could lose around £30m because of the cancellation, with any insurance claim likely to depending on the wording of the official result.
Ali Martin sums it all up in this report.
On behalf of all the Guardian cricket writers, thanks very much for your company and emails throughout an exhilarating Test series. We’ll be back for the ODI series between England and New Zealand women, which starts in Bristol on Thursday, and then it’s on to the men’s World T20. See you then!
“It would be very useful to get a fuller explanation of the real reasons why so many of the Indian party are affected,” says Chandrakant Patel. “In a country where vaccination is accessible and encouraged, what explains this episode? If it suggests the there has been breach of the protocols by the Indian team, then they should be required to forfeit, not least because of incompetence.”
Actually, that email brings to mind the evidence that Ronaldo gave to the inquiry into his collapse before the 1998 World Cup final: “I also hope that my truth pleases you, because there are many truths, many truths. It’s up to you to decide which is the true truth.”
“Good morrow, Mr Smyth,” writes Roland Marshall. Be it rather remiss of me to talk of cricket, when there is a cancellation and potential witch-hunt to bitch about, I am still going to do it: who do you think will be on the plane to the Ashes?”
It’s hard to speculate because we don’t know how big the squad will be. There’s an England Lions tour taking place in Australia at the same time, so there will be probably be some crossover. That said, if they were to name a 17-man squad - assuming all players are available - I think it would be something like Burns, Hameed, Crawley, Malan, Root, Bairstow, Pope, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen Ali, Woakes, Robinson, Broad, Anderson, Wood, Carse and M Parkinson. I have a hunch that Brydon Carse and Matt Parkinson will be the bolters in the squad.
It has all gone pretty quiet. I’m not sure we’ll hear much else today, though the story will drag on for aeons. There’s a vague precedent with the Oval Test of 2006, when Pakistan refused to play after being accused of ball-tampering. The official result of the match was not settled until February 2009.
England’s next Test match, all things being equal, is against Australia at the Gabbatoir on 9 December. India host New Zealand in a two-Test series in November and December, though I don’t think the precise dates have been confirmed.
“Distant viewer from the far limits of Europe,” writes Neil Morris. “Disappointed in the cancellation, but fully support the players. I feel we should be grateful for being able to watch a lot of cricket in the middle of a pandemic. Leave the carping and arguments behind boardroom doors. An unfinished series, India 2-1, leave it there, a tribute to all the hard work staging it. Let both sets of players and staff take a break.”
“I’m joining a fairly large number of aimless cricket fans trying to find things to do in Manchester!” says Mike Smith. “Gutted as it was set up to be a great game. Only consolation to two nights in a hotel, train fares and a day off work is I spotted that they are still selling tickets for New Order at Heaton Park tonight so I’ll get in for the support too!”
“Glad to see the Test in cancelled (or whatever it will be called in due course),” says Rahul Kapoor. “It is just a game. It’s about time people acknowledge how difficult it is to play in Covid times. Basically, the players have to play without coaching staff and a physio. They had to stay in their rooms for the last two days when they would’ve had practice sessions. Then they have to rush the airport right after the Test is over. Players deserve a break.”
There have been no developments in the last couple of hours, though I’m sure there are some frantic discussions taking place behind the scenes. Here’s what the ECB chief executive Tom Harrison had to say on Sky Sports earlier today.
“Cricket is the loser here,” says Steve Campbell, “but spare a thought for the staff at the ground, many of whom will be on zero hours contracts & losing out on five 12+ hour days of £££.”
Indeed. The apparent contempt for ordinary people with bills to pay is the bit that makes me most angry.
“I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty gutted,” says Steve Jones. “I’d got tickets booked for the fourth day, train tickets booked, hotel for two nights booked and now too late to cancel. All in all, for one day at the cricket, I’ll be out of pocket by over 200 quid. As I say, gutted.”
I really feel for you and everyone else who is not only out of pocket but also out of excitement. But surely it’s a comfort that you received a half-arsed apology right at the end of the BCCI statement?
“Perhaps I’m being naïve but wouldn’t the boards have drawn up some clear guidelines about what Covid levels would constitute grounds for matches being abandoned BEFORE the series?” says Alex Eggeman. “It’s not as if Covid has caught us by surprise this summer. These should have been agreed with all stakeholders, players, host grounds, broadcasters for something as important as a Test series.”
You’re right - you are being naïve. A few people are saying it was bubble fatigue as much as Covid. That’s a legitimate reason, one that should have been addressed when the schedule was put together. I suppose, if there is one comfort in all this, it’s knowing that the BCCI would have taken exactly the same action if the series score was 1-1 or 2-1 to England.
Dinesh Karthik, the Sky Sports commentator who is isolating ahead of the IPL, had this to say
“I spoke to a few of the guys. The general feeling is that, after the fourth Test, the players [said], ‘This is tiring. Almost all of the games have gone to the wire, they’re tired, and they were down to one physio, so they’ve done a lot of work with that man - and now he tests positive. Now that is the problem. If it was somebody else, who worked on logistics or something, they wouldn’t be this afraid. But because it’s the physio, that’s why they got the jitters.
“You also have to understand that straight after this they have the IPL, soon after that the World T20, and soon after that the India series. How many bubbles can they do? They assembled in India on May 16th, which is almost four months ago.”
Some very good points, most of which should have been addressed by the governing bodies months ago. That said, I still don’t understand why the physio contracting Covid is more of a problem now than it was last week. Maybe he had unorthodox methods.
“India have offered to reschedule the match,” says Greg Fearn. “How kind. Let’s reschedule it for April. On a green top at Chesterfield. When all their star players are playing in the IPL.”
The word on the Manchester street is that, even if a Test match between England and India is squeezed in next summer, it will be a standalone game that has nothing to do with this series. If that’s the case, all that remains is for the BCC ICC to decide the result of this match.
So we have a case of Covid stops play, or anxiety stops play, depending on which board you find yourself believing.Either way, it’s both understandable and a crying shame. But, as Celine Dion very nearly sang, the OBO will go on. It’s time for me to hand back to the great Rob Smyth. Thanks for your company, observations, howls of pain and chuckles of rueful mirth.
Indian players pulled out "at midnight" – Telegraph
The Indian team sent a letter at midnight last night, telling their board they would not be playing this Test, according to Nick Hoult of the Telegraph. His report is here.
“So disappointing, for everyone,” says John Morrison, “to find the Old Trafford Test has been called off. Pitch prepared, ground sold out, sandwiches made, burgers being flipped ... so how about putting on a ‘scratch’ match and dedicating it to the cricketers – men and women – of Afghanistan.
England v England B? Two county sides? Two women’s teams? Plus an opportunity to ‘pass the hat’ around a big crowd, to raise money for Afghan cricketers.”
And here is the voice of doom. “BCCI, ECB and all the other cricket authorities reaping the whirlwind they have collectively sewn,” says Peter Green. “Constantly prioritising the cash cows of IPL, T20 World Cups and The Hundred will sooner, rather than later, result in the death of Test cricket. ‘Looking to reschedule’ – yeah, right.”