Despite speculations of UAE being awarded the hosting rights for the series, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly said the governing body will do everything it can to try and ensure England's full trip is held within the country.
Ganguly said the board is keeping track of the developments with regards to the ongoing health crisis borne out of COVID-19 pandemic and will look to create bio-secure bubbles for cricket matches at different stadiums here.
England are scheduled to arrive next January and stay till March for five Test matches, three ODIs and three T20Is.
"Priority is to make this (series against England) happen in India. We will try to make this happen on Indian grounds. The advantage in UAE is they have three stadiums (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai)," Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata, as quoted by PTI.
Ever since the board secretary Jay Shah confirmed the signing of an MOU with Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in UAE, it has been speculated that England's tour, as well as the IPL 2021, can be held there as is the league's this year's edition right now in wake of the raging pandemic in India.
Ganguly, though, remains confident that neutral venues won't be required for a bilateral series.
"We also have the same facility in Mumbai -- CCI, Wankhede and DY Patil. We also have Eden Gardens. We have to create a bubble. We want to hold our cricket in India, that's where the game is, that's where the heart is. But we are monitoring the COVID situation."
"Everything is fluid. It's been hard for the last six months to keep everything in order. You want your cricket to happen. You want lives to get back to normal, there are players involved. But you also want to have a close look at the COVID situation."
The former India captain informed that the board is also planning to conduct as many domestic tournaments as possible this winter. The task of hosting the Ranji Trophy, country's premier domestic first-class competition which features 38 teams, seems quite a challenge this season, given it'll be extremely difficult to create bio-secure environment for so many teams.
"We are monitoring it. We want to have our domestic season. We have all the combinations, situations ready in our mind. We will try and make it happen as much as we can," said Ganguly who, in another matter, backed the now-retired MS Dhoni to come good eventually in the ongoing IPL 2020.
"In the current situation, it will take some time for him to get back to his old touch. He played a cricket match after about one year and six months. It's not easy however good you are. It will take some time."
"When Dhoni was in prime form and was the captain, then I was in broadcast and had said that he should bat at number four," he signed off.
