‘You don’t play if you don’t practise as a team the day before’ – David Lloyd on Manchester Test cancellation

After loads of speculations and chaos surrounding COVID-19, the fifth and final Test between India and England at the Old Trafford in Manchester had to be postponed for an indefinite time period. Former Three Lions’ cricketer David Lloyd, in the meantime, reckoned that the cancellation was on the cards when Team India’s practice session prior to the encounter was cancelled.

On Wednesday, India’s second physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for coronavirus after which a few Indian players expressed their concerns over playing the Manchester Test.

Earlier, head coach Ravi Shastri’s RT-PCR test also came positive due to which bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar went into isolation.

David Lloyd said that he got an indication of the postponement when Team India didn’t go for practice before the match. The 74-year-old Lloyd put forth his opinions on his exclusive column for Daily Mail.

David Lloyd identified a twist to the tale

“Rumours that the game wouldn’t take place have been circling since the end of the fourth Test and became more prevalent when India coach Ravi Shastri and members of the backroom staff tested positive for Covid,” Lloyd wrote.

Last week, Shastri, Indian skipper Virat Kohli and a few other players attended a book launch in London. Going by reports, they didn’t seek permission before attending the crowded event.

One of the BCCI officials said that the hullabaloo surrounding the Manchester Test started with ‘one breach’. The board, reportedly, isn’t happy with the players regarding taking the step.

“Should they have been telling somebody that they were intending to attend a book launch in London? Should they even have contemplated going in the first place?” he stated.

“So, at 7pm on Thursday when the announcement came from the ECB that the game was on, I said to Mrs Lloyd: ‘There will be a twist to this yet’

“What made me so sure? Well, when India didn’t turn up to practise earlier that day it showed their hand. It said to me: ‘We ain’t playing.’ You don’t play if you don’t practise as a team the day before,” he added.

As of now, the ECB and BCCI are said to be working towards a window to reschedule the Test match.