ENG vs IND: ECB urges ICC to begin adjudication process on Manchester Test match

The England and Wales Cricket Board has written to the International Cricket Council to begin the adjudication process of the cancelled Test match at the Old Trafford in Manchester. Two hours prior to the start of the match, the ECB released a statement, mentioning that the game has been postponed indefinitely after a few Indian cricketers showed reluctance to take part.

As of now there are chances of two outcomes. If the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) reckons that the game was cancelled for valid reasons under ICC’s rules for COVID allowances, the result will be declared null and void. In that case, India will win the series 2-1.

In another case, if it’s found that India forfeited the match, the game will be awarded to the Brits with the series ending at 2-2. The World Test Championship playing conditions don’t allow teams to play in certain circumstances.

The conditions state, “Any matches that do not take place due to the Acceptable Non-Compliance of one or both Parties (as defined in the World Test Championship Competition Terms) shall not be taken into account in the calculation of the Points Percentage.”

This is not a COVID cancellation: ECB CEO

Earlier, Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, stated that the Manchester Test’s cancellation didn’t take place due to COVID-19 outbreak. Rather, he stated that mental health and well-being were the reasons behind the match not happening.

“This is not a COVID cancellation. The match was cancelled because of serious concerns over the mental health and well-being of one of the teams and there is a difference… We have the ICC adjudicate over whether this series is completed now, whether that fifth match is null and void or whether it’s actually regarded as a forfeiture or something else,” Harrison was quoted as saying in Cricbuzz.

Meanwhile, once the adjudication process gets underway, the apex board will commission a report on the happenings in Manchester. The report will then be passed on to Michael Beloff QC, the chairman of the DRC, who will determine whether the cancellation fell under COVID guidelines or India forfeited the game.

Due to the postponement of the Test, the ECB and Lancashire Cricket are faced with losses worth millions. If the reason for cancelling the match isn’t found to be under COVID guidelines, the boards are likely to mitigate some of the financial damage.