Report | ECB to seek ICC's help to decide on Manchester Test outcome
With India leading the 5-Test series against England 2-1, the final Test was called off less than 3 hours before its start in Manchester on Friday, September 10. Team India could not take field after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar also tested Covid-positive on the eve of the series deciding match.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in all likelihood would be writing to the ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) for deciding the fate of the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford which was called off after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases in the vistors' camp.
India were leading the 5-Test series 2-1 when four of India's support staff tested positive for Covid-19 and the players showed reluctance in taking the field. Following a meeting between ECB and BCCI officials, the match was called off less than 3 hours before its start time.
As per a PTI report, while sources in the ICC have said that they aren’t aware of ECB already writing to the ICC on the matter but a leading website has reported that the host cricket board has already done so since they are staring at a loss of GBP 40 million, most of it won’t be covered if Covid-19 is the reason for cancellation of the game.
It is understood that ECB will press for a forfeiture of the Manchester Test which would allow them to claim the compensation from the insurance company. “Look, the one-off Test that BCCI has proposed will be standalone as Tom Harrison has said. Which means that it is not a part of this series.” a source in the know of things told PTI.
“Therefore if ICC decides that Indian cricket team which twice tested negative in RT-PCR was "unable to field" the team due to COVID-19, then it will be acceptable non-compliance," he added.
Therefore, if ECB can suitably prove that it was a case of forfeiture and the series is adjudicated as 2-2, then they have sufficient grounds to claim for compensation. Several India players have already left the UK and have touched base in the UAE with their respective IPL franchises.