“Should never forget England’s gesture in 2008”: Gavaskar welcomes BCCI’s move to offer ECB to reschedule the cancelled test match at Old Trafford

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has welcomed BCCI’s gesture to offer ECB to reschedule the cancelled test match at Old Trafford on Friday. Image Source: Twitter

Xtra Time Web Desk: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar on Friday welcomed Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to offer England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to reschedule the cancelled 5th Test in Manchester, saying it’s important not to forget England’s gesture in 2008 after the terror attacks in Mumbai.

The fifth and final test match at Old Trafford had to be called off on the morning of the test match as the Indian cricketers were apprehensive about taking the field due to spread of the corona virus. Team India’s second physio Yogesh Parmar was tested positive for te virus on Thursday.

Despite all the efforts and negotiations from both the boards it was decided that the test match will be cancelled. BCCI in a statement said it is offering a rescheduling of the cancelled Test and both the boards will work towards finding a window for the series finale.

“Yes, I think that (rescheduling the cancelled Test) would be the correct thing to do. Look, we, in India, should never forget what the England team did in 2008 after the horrific attack, the 26/11. They came back. They would have been perfectly entitled to say ‘we don’t feel safe. We are not coming back’,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.

The legendary cricketer suggested that India can possibly play the cancelled Test when they tour England for a limited-overs series in July 2022. Notably, the ECB confirmed the schedule for 3 ODIs and as many T20Is in July 2022 after the completion of IPL next year.

“It’s absolutely apt that the BCCI now says, right next year, we are still coming to England. I think there will be a little lean period. I think the IPL will finish in early June. So there is enough time for them to go a few days early, depending on whether we still have Covid and all the restrictions and maybe play a Test match before or after.”

He added, “This is fantastic news coming that the BCCi will make up for it. This is exactly what the relations between boards should be.”

Kevin Pietersen led England team returned to play the two-Test series after the Mumbai terror attack forced the visitors to travel back home in the middle of the ODI series. In fact the English team was involved in the first ODI at Cuttack when terror attack broke in Mumbai on November 26.