The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) might not entertain any attainable request from the Indian cricket board to advance the five-match Test sequence between Indian and England to make sure that The Hundred doesn’t lose any extra sheen, it has been learnt.
The Hundred begins on July 21 whereas the Test sequence begins on August 4. The ECB, in its desperation to save the 100-ball match, desires all England stars to be out there for the match which is already set to miss international stars from Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies as they are going to be busy with worldwide commitments.
While ECB informed IANS on Friday that it has not obtained a request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to advance the Test sequence, there was hypothesis that it could need the sequence to end sooner than September 14 in order to get 20-22 days to end the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match, which was postponed midway by way of its group stage due to Covid-19 in May, could possibly be held in UAE.
According to sources, the Board has made an unofficial enquiry, a declare backed by a report in The Times newspaper.
However, ECB has been caught in a catch-22 state of affairs. While it doesn’t need to spoil its relationship with the BCCI, it desires dwelling Test stars like Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran amongst others to be out there for The Hundred, a match that’s being floated as a money-spinner.
“The request (by BCCI to advance series) puts ECB in a tricky position, stuck between the rock of wanting to maintain good relations with the most powerful cricket nation as well as being as flexible and helpful as possible given the postponement of the game’s most financially lucrative competition, and the hard place of not impacting on their own carefully planned domestic schedule. At this late stage, it is hard to see the ECB acceding to any potential change and it is expected to hold its ground,” former England captain Michael Atherton on Thursday wrote in The Times.
“Principally, any move would affect the small window in the international calendar the ECB has created for The Hundred, the new short-form competition staged mid-summer between the end of the one-day series against Pakistan and the start of the India Tests. It is hoped that England players will be available for the start of a competition long in gestation, which is expected to be further knocked by withdrawals from other overseas players in the coming weeks,” Atherton additional wrote.
Another downside that has emerged is that tickets for the primary three days of the fifth and last Test at Old Trafford, from September 10-14, have already been bought out. If the sequence is superior, then it can create logistical headache.
“Moving the game at this late stage to earlier in the season would create logistical headaches for Lancashire, the ECB and the England team, not to say those spectators who have spent money and planned to attend,” added Atherton.
Australian stars Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa and Jhye Richardson have all signed up for the maiden version of The Hundred. However, all these gamers have been named in Australia’s preliminary squad that can tour the West Indies for 5 T20 Internationals and three ODIs between July 9 and 24.
Australia might then tour Bangladesh too for a restricted overs sequence that might act as warm-up for the T20 World Cup, at the moment scheduled to be performed this October-November in India.
Besides Aussie stars, some distinguished West Indies gamers, like Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran, might also have to skip the match as they are going to be busy in opposition to visiting Australians at dwelling.
West Indies additionally play Pakistan from July 27 to August 3 in 5 T20 Internationals and in two Test matches from August 12 to 24.
Three Pakistani gamers — Mohammed Amir, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan — are in The Hundred. While Amir isn’t a part of the Pakistan group anymore, each Afridi and Khan are integral a part of Pakistan set-up. They may additionally skip The Hundred.
The unavailability of high international stars in The Hundred might pressure ECB to maintain the English gamers within the match and thus not entertain any requests to advance the dates for the Test sequence in opposition to India.
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