CAB wants to host India-England match compensating for scrapped ODI against South Africa

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has expressed its desire to host a match during England’s tour of India next year, compensating for the called-off match against South Africa earlier this year. The Proteas was in India for three ODIs, but the series couldn’t take place after the rained-off match in Dharamsala as the COVID-19 pandemic started taking charge across the world.

The second and third ODI in Lucknow and Kolkata on March 15 and 18 had to be scrapped in the grave global scenario. Avishek Dalmiya, the president of the CAB, has now put forth his wish of compensating for the game.

The calculations are being done: CAB president

“We will request the BCCI to plan the series in such a manner that the two associations get compensated for the two abandoned matches,” Dalmiya was quoted as saying in Times Now.

England’s tour was scheduled to take place between September and October. However, the coronavirus pandemic led to its postponement. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) now plans to conduct the series from January to March 2021 with three ODIs and as many T20Is.

“We would be looking forward to the BCCI to negotiate with the England Cricket Board because they are the ones to tour India in early 2021, that’s the next home series,” he stated.

Dalmiya also said that he would also be asking for a reimbursement of the losses occurred for the match against South Africa “We will send a request sympathetically to reimburse the expenses incurred for printing of match tickets, sale of tickets, getting the venue ready. The calculations are being done,” Dalmiya added.

Instead of England’s tour in September, the Indian cricketers would now be busy playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting Saturday, September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament was earlier set to be played in India from March 29, but the COVID-19 played spoilsport.

If the tournament doesn’t take place, then the BCCI stands to lose a stunning INR 4,000 crores. The world’s richest cricket board is also looking for the title sponsors. As far as international cricket is concerned, India’s last assignment was the two-match Test series against New Zealand.