We offered to play two extra T20Is in England next year, confirms BCCI

In its bid to to compensate for the losses suffered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) due to cancellation of Manchester Test, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now confirmed that it has offered to play two extra T20Is during the Indian team’s tour of England in July 2022.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that the offer for two extra T20Is will stand if the ECB agrees to amicably resolve the standoff over the fifth Test.

“It is correct that we have offered to play two extra T20Is when we visit England next July (only for the white-ball games). Instead of three T20Is, we will play five T20Is. Alternately, we will be willing to play a one-off Test as well. It is up to them to choose either of the offers,” Shah was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Monday.

Earlier, a report in The Daily Mail of the UK had reported that the offer was made by the Indian board however, there was no official confirmation on it.

“However, the offer — designed to help ease a potential shortfall of 40 million pounds in English cricket’s already stretched budget — would be instead of, not as well as, the rescheduled Test. The offer of a rescheduled Test still stands,” the newspaper report had said.

“There is also the question of corporate hospitality, tickets, and food and drink, with the potential earnings from a full Test match — over 10m pounds for the Manchester game — far in excess of what a pair of T20s could generate,” the report added.

The Men In Blue is scheduled to tour England again next year for three ODIs and as many T20Is.

However, it may also depend on whether the various broadcasters, who had paid 25 million pounds for the rights to the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford, would be willing to settle for two days of cricket rather than five full days.

Earlier, reports had suggested that the ECB has reportedly written a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging it to decide the fate of the cancelled fifth Test against India at Old Trafford.

The ECB has meanwhile, hinted that it was writing to the global body as the two boards are far from reaching a settlement on the matter.

The ECB wants the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee to resolve the issue beside expecting that a forfeiture would be granted so that they can claim insurance as it will possibly suffer a loff aroun 40 million pound if the match is declared abandoned due to Covid-19.

Notably, if the global body declares the fifth and final Test as abandoned, India will win the series 2-1 but if England get a forfeiture as per the DRC ruling, it will be a 2-2 verdict and the host nation can also claim insurance.

On the other hand, if the issue comes in favour of India, ECB will most likley stands to incur huge losses as most of the 40 million pound is not covered under Covid insurance.

Earlier, the series-deciding fifth and final Test in Manchester’s Olf Trafford was called-off after a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp due to which the visitors were unable to field a team.

However, the ICC officials had said that they haven’t received any such mail from the ECB as yet.

News Desk

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