BCCI releases official statement to clear the air, says will work with ECB towards rescheduling Manchester Test

In wake of the fifth India vs England Test match in Manchester being called off due to Covid-19 scare, it was announced that both BCCI and ECB will be rescheduling the cancelled Test match to a further date.

In wake of the 5th India vs England Test match in Manchester being called off due to Covid-19 scare, it was announced that both BCCI and ECB will be rescheduling the cancelled Test match to a later date.

India and England will play the fifth time sometime later, the BCCI announced.  (Getty)

"In lieu of the strong relationship between BCCI and ECB, the BCCI has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled Test match. Both the Boards will work towards finding a window to reschedule this Test match," the BCCI said in a statement.

The series-deciding Test was supposed to begin on Friday, but had to be called off following the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Indian camp. India currently lead the Test series 2-1.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have jointly decided to call off the 5th Test Match scheduled at Manchester in ongoing India's tour of England 2021," the statement further added.

"The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test Match, however, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the Old Trafford Test Match."

The fourth Test at The Oval was completed despite three members of the Indian contingent - head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar - testing Covid positive and remaining in isolation. But things took a turn for the worse when on Wednesday, another member of India's support staff - physio Yogesh Parmar - returned a positive Test.

The Indian players underwent a fresh round of testing and despite everyone testing positive, certain players had apprehensions about taking part in the Manchester Test. The BCCI added that the safety of players is paramount to them and nothing would be prioritized over their health.

"The BCCI has always maintained that the safety and well-being of the players is of paramount importance and there will be no comprise on that aspect," the statement further said.

"The BCCI would like to thank the ECB for their co-operation and understanding in these trying times. We would like to apologise to the fans for not being able to complete an enthralling series."