Indian players refused to play, but you can’t blame them – Sourav Ganguly

The fifth Test between India and England was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 in the Indian camp. Yogesh Parmar, Team India’s junior physio, was detected with COVID-19 and that created panic among the players. Initially, a day of play was called off, but later, the ECB and BCCI decided to call off the Test match.

Several cricket experts slammed Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for attending a book launch event. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who had maintained silence on the whole matter, has finally opened up on the cancellation of the Test.

During an interaction with Telegraph India, Ganguly said the match will happen but it won’t be a 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.

Ganguly further added that the Indian players were in a shock after Parmar’s report came positive.

“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.