IND vs ENG 2021: ECB writes to ICC to decide status of Manchester Test
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has written to the International Cricket Council to start the adjudication process to decide the status of the fifth and final Test which was set to take place in Manchester.
The final Test of the Pataudi Trophy was canceled hours before the scheduled start of play following a COVID-19 outbreak in the Indian camp.
The Test was pushed into jeopardy on Wednesday after a fourth member of the Indian support staff, assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar, tested positive for COVID-19. The news of Parmar testing positive sent jitters around the Indian camp as the physiotherapist was in close contact with a plethora of players.
While the Indian players with returned negative tests late Thursday night, the fear of testing positive after the incubation period proved to be the final nail in the coffin. Senior members, with the support of the entire team, wrote to the BCCI about their reluctance to proceed with the Test under such circumstances.
The BCCI and ECB engaged in a series of meetings throughout Thursday and Friday evening before the decision to cancel the Test was finally made official.
While the BCCI have offered the ECB a rescheduled Test in the near future, Tom Harrison revealed to the media that if the one-off Test does take place (possibly next English summer), it will not be a part of the five-match rubber.
The ECB has thrown the ball in ICC's court now in the hope of getting a swift decision.
ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee will take a final call on the status of the Manchester Test
The matter will now be adjudged by the ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) and two outcomes are possible.
If the match taking place is deemed acceptable according to COVID-19 allowances in the ICC rules by the DRC, the fifth Test will be declared null and void and the series will be awarded to India.
However, if the DRC feels that the reasons provided by India are unacceptable, then the match will be awarded to England and the series will be shared 2-2.
The ICC DRC's decision will come down to its interpretation of what 'acceptable non-compliance' means in the COVID-19 climate. The ICC COVID-19 guidelines state:
"Any matches that do not take place due to the Acceptable Non-Compliance of one or both Parties (as defined in the World Test Championship Competition Terms) shall not be taken into account in the calculation of the Points Percentage."
While the BCCI is adamant that the current situation falls under the ICC's COVID-19 provisions, ECB chief Tom Harrison made it clear on Friday that the home board doesn't think that the match was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Harrison said:
"This is not a COVID cancellation. The match was cancelled because of serious concerns over the mental health and well-being of one of the teams and there is a difference... We have the ICC adjudicate over whether this series is completed now, whether that fifth match is null and void or whether it's actually regarded as a forfeiture or something else."
Once the ICC starts its proceedings, an independent report on what happened in Manchester will be commissioned. The report will then be presented to the DRC panel headed by Michael Beloff.
The DRC's decision will be final and there will be no appeal process.