Pietersen questions availability of players for resumption of IPL on September 19 after cancellation of Manchester Test

By ANI

MANCHESTER: Following the cancellation of the Manchester Test between England and India on Friday, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen has asked whether the players will be available for the opening match when IPL 2021 resumes in the UAE on September 19.

“So England v India TEST is CANCELLED due to Covid!!!! WOW!!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! Does it mean with 9 days till CSK v MI in Dubai, NO player from each team that’s in the UK will be available if they now have 10 days of quarantining in UK?” Pietersen tweeted.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said Team India has let English cricket down. “India have let English Cricket down !!! But England did let South African Cricket down,” Vaughan tweeted.

The fifth and final Test between India and England has been cancelled due to a “further increase in the number of COVID cases” inside the Indian camp.

“Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled,” ECB said in a statement.

Ahead of the fifth and final Test against England, physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 in Manchester. This had led to Team India’s training session for Thursday afternoon being cancelled.

However, there were no COVID-19 related worries in the England camp and Jos Buttler had said everything is fine and the hosts were looking forward to the game before the match was cancelled.