It was recently reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had requested the England and Wales Cricket Board to prepone the five-match Test series by a week, so that they can have a wider window to host the Indian Premier League.
However, it is now reported the Test series dates are unlikely to change after informal discussions between the two boards.
India will play the World Test Championship final against New Zealand from June 18 and then they will play the first Test match against England from August 4. Thus, they will have more than one month to prepare for the five-match Test series.
In fact, it was reported that the BCCI had also requested the ECB to cancel one Test match so that the Indian board can get a bigger window for the IPL.
A senior BCCI official gave an update to the PTI and said: “There is no chance of ECB acceding to BCCI’s request of shifting the dates of the Test series. Since they have made their stand point clear informally, I don’t think there is any point of making a formal request. The ECB have their inaugural ‘Hundred’ from July 24 to August 21. Their broadcast deals and everything is in place. So there is no chance of any shift happening.”
On the other hand, it is reported by Times of India that the IPL could be hosted between September 15 and October 15 in the UAE. Furthermore, it is also reported that the T20 World Cup could be moved to UAE amid the Covid-19 crisis in India.
Meanwhile, India will have a great opportunity to prepare well for the five match Test series against England as they will spend close to two months in England before playing their first Test match. Thus, they can get acclimatized to the English conditions.
The World Test Championship final will take place at Ageas Bowl, Southampton from June 18.
