'Players refused to play, but you can’t blame them' - Sourav Ganguly on Manchester Test cancellation

The cancellation of the fifth Test between England and India in Manchester due to the threat of COVID-19 created a lot of headlines. Yogesh Parmar, Team India’s junior physio, was detected with COVID-19 and that led to panic and chaos in the visitors camp. Initially, a day of play was postponed, but later, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and England Cricket Board (ECB) officials decided amicably to not play the Test.

Several experts and critics have had a different take on this matter. While a few of them felt Ravi Shastri and co should not have attended the book launch campaign, some said it is wrong to point fingers at the Indian players and team management. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who had maintained silence on the matter, has opened up about the Manchester Test being cancelled.

During an interaction with Telegraph India, Ganguly said the match will happen but it won’t be in continuation of the five-match Test series.

“The Old Trafford Test has been cancelled. They have incurred a lot of losses and it’s not going to be easy on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Let things settle down a bit, then we can discuss and decide. Whenever it’s held next year, it should be a one-off match since it cannot be a continuation of the series anymore,” Ganguly said.

Players were devasted when physio had contracted COVID-19

Sourav Ganguly further opined that the Indian players were in a state of shock when they got to know Parmar was detected with the virus. Since they were taking in close contact with him, they felt they might have contracted the virus. Hence that was the primary reason the players refused to play the Manchester Test match.

“The players refused to play, but you can’t blame them. Physio Yogesh Parmar was such a close contact of the players. Being the only one available after Nitin Patel isolated himself, he mixed freely with the players and even performed their Covid-19 tests. He also used to give them a massage, he was part of their everyday lives.… The players were devastated when they came to know that he had tested positive for Covid-19. They feared they must have contracted the disease and were dead scared. It’s not easy staying in a bubble. Of course, you have to respect their feelings,” Ganguly added.