Former India cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar has raised question over the long gap between the World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand, which will take place in Southampton from June 18., and the following five-match Test rubber against hosts England, scheduled to begin from August 4.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be touring England for a white-ball series in June and July however, Vengsarkar has questioned why the Tests were not scheduled to be held just after the WTC final.
“What are they going to do in those one-and-a-half months? I am really surprised with the scheduling. What kind of a tour is being organised? How can you have a Test match now and you don’t have any cricket for one-and-a-half months, and then you play the Test series,” Vengsarkar told News 18.
“Even if Pakistan and Sri Lanka visit England for limited-overs series in July (England host Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs in June-July and Pakistan for three ODIs and three T20Is in July), why can’t they have the England-India Tests immediately after the WTC final?” he added.
“Is the team coming back after the WTC final and then going back? What are they going to do for those one-and-a-half months? Even if they schedule county matches, one-and-a-half months is too long a period to play county matches.
“This itinerary is weird. If there is no cricket for one-and-a-half months, it is strange. If India is there to play Test matches, they should continue playing Tests rather than have a gap. Why are Pakistan and Sri Lanka playing T20Is and ODIs in between? That is absurd,” Vengsarkar signed off.