England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday (April 13) announced the postponement of the forthcoming India A's tour of England due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
India A team was scheduled to tour England this summer to face England Lions, as well as, play warm-up games against Virat Kohli-led Indian Cricket Team before their five-match Test series against Joe Root and his team in August and September 2021.
However, the current COVID-19 situation forced the ECB to postpone India’s A tour of England and this tour will be rescheduled after this summer when the restrictions will be eased.
It is being that the ECB and BCCI have mutually decided to postpone the tour to ensure the safest possible environment for a high-quality international series in times of COVID-19 pandemic.
ECB said in a statement: “The ECB and BCCI have agreed to postpone this summer's men's India-A tour."
The statement further reads: “The India Men's team will instead tour with a larger squad to prepare for, and use during, the five-match LV= Insurance Test Series. India's warm-up schedule will now comprise two intra-squad four-day matches, which will replace the two previously planned four-day fixtures between India Men and India A in July. Venues for those two intra-squad matches are to be confirmed.”
Meanwhile, the ECB chief executive officer Tom Harrison said in a statement: “We look forward to welcoming a men's India A tour at a later date after this summer and when restrictions have eased.”
The latest development will force Team India to travel with a larger squad to prepare for the forthcoming Test series against England with two intra-squad four-day matches.
Notably, the ECB has been also reportedly discussed with cricket boards of the other three visiting teams this summer – New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan to cancel their tour matches against English county teams and they have also agreed for the same.
Now, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan will also play intra-squad matches in England to prepare for their respective international fixtures this summer in the UK.
(With Reuters Inputs)
