The fifth and final Test between India and England in Manchester set to start on Friday (September 10) has now been called off, the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced. The development comes on the back of intense discussions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) after India’s assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar returned a positive COVID-19 test on Thursday.
“Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled. Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are unable to field a team and will instead forfeit the match,” an ECB statement read.
“We send our sincere apologies to fans and partners for this news, which we know will cause immense disappointment and inconvenience to many. Further information will be shared in due course,” the statement added.
It is belived that more than one India player had expressed concerns about taking the field in talks between the BCCI and the team management over the last two days, according to ESPNCricinfo website. The entire India squad returned negative RT-PCR tests on Thursday, but results of a fresh round of testing are expected on Friday morning.
Bureau Report
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