India is experiencing a medical emergency following the surge in coronavirus positive cases among the masses. With that in mind, multiple countries have banned flights arriving from India, which has caused a level of anxiety among the overseas players involved in the IPL 2021.
New Zealand are scheduled to play a two-match Test series against England from June 2, just a few days after the end of IPL 2021 on May 30, and then take part in the World Test Championship final versus India from June 18.
It is impossible for the Kiwi cricketers to depart back home, undergo 14-day isolation and then reach England for the Test matches on time after the end of the IPL.
It would be more practical for their 20-man Test squad to travel directly from India to the UK, something that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has already started working closely with BCCI and its English counter ECB over.
This much was confirmed by NZ Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills as he said the board wishes to overcome the logistical hurdles. Mills also indicated a possibility of New Zealand and India cricketers flying together to the UK. India, too, are set to play a Test series against England apart from the World Test Championship final this summer.
“They can’t very well come home, do the two weeks isolation and then go to England, so they’re going to have to be there (India) until the round-robin finishes, or the final series
Then we’ve got other players who are coming home – logistically there’s not a lot of flights. It’s not easy to sort out the logistics. We’re working closely with NZ Cricket and they’re in touch with the BCCI and the ICC.”
Mills was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz.
Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, and Mitchell Santner are among the ten names involved in the IPL 2021 and also part of the Test squad.
The Test series against England is not part of the inaugural cycle of the World Test Championship, where New Zealand reached the final after finishing second in the nine-team league points table, having won 7 and losing 4 of their 11 Test matches spanned across five series.
India won 12 and lost only four of their matches in the two years, including series wins against West Indies, Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia and England on either side of the defeat in New Zealand.
After the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, Indian players are expected to stay back in the UK through July in order to avoid further quarantine before they face England in a five-match Test series. The series will begin on August 4 in Trent Bridge and will also feature matches at Lord’s (August 12-16), Headingley (August 25-29), The Oval (September 2-6) and Manchester (September 10-14).
India had initially planned to have their ‘A’ team travelling alongside the senior national side to the UK so as to aid preparations for the Test series. But with the pandemic leading to the postponement of India A’s tour, the senior side will be reaching there with an extended squad and play intra-squad warm-up matches in the build-up to the Tests.
India haven’t won a Test series in England since Rahul Dravid’s men rewrote the history books back in 2007. India have suffered defeats by a margin of 4-0, 3-1, and 4-1 in their successive Test series played in the UK.
