The fifth Test between England and India has been cancelled amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis, the ICC has confirmed.
The match has been canned just hours before the first day’s play was supposed to begin, due to COVID-19 fears sweeping the tourists’ camp.
In a sensational twist, however, the ICC is yet to reveal if India has forfeited, which would level the series at two-apiece, or if the two countries have come to the mutual decision to cancel the Test.
India assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar is the latest known member of the camp to have tested positive, forcing all of the tour party to isolate in their Manchester hotel and await the results of a fresh batch of COVID-19 tests.
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India had already been without head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharath Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and chief physio Nitin Patel, who remain in London after testing positive during the fourth Test India won on Monday at The Oval.
“The fifth and final ICC World Test Championship match between England and India in Manchester has been cancelled after Covid-19 disrupted the Indian camp, rendering the visitors unable to field a team,” an ICC statement reads.
Mike Selvey posted on Twitter about the financial damage of the cancellation.
“The financial collateral from the cancellation will be huge to Lancs and the domestic game, running into many millions,” Selvey wrote.
“Sky claw back probably, and with low ECB reserves it will be the counties and below who bear significant burden.
“It could be catastrophic for some.”
Andy Zaltzman took to Twitter to express his frustration.
“Massively disappointing,” he wrote.
https://twitter.com/selvecricket/status/1436248950571479041https://twitter.com/ZaltzCricket/status/1436237187129954306
Many of the India players are due to feature in the Indian Premier League, which is set to resume on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates after being cut short by the virus in May.
MORE TO COME.
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