ENG vs IND, I Think It Will Be A Stand-Alone Situation: CEO Harrison On Rescheduled Test
Tom Harrison, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said that England and India facing each other in a rescheduled Test will be a stand-alone situation. The f
"It's a really sad day. My heart goes out to fans. It's a special event when our two teams go on the park and we're absolutely gutted. There's no winners in this scenario and it's a sad day for Test cricket globally because internationally this game gets an absolutely astronomical audience. Everybody's upset by this," said Harrison.
"It became quite clear yesterday morning/lunchtime there was a problem. I think the anxiety levels in the Indian cricket team were causing serious concerns. It wasn't an outbreak of Covid, it was a perception of what might happen with the physio testing positive. Over the course of the day we gave as many assurances as we could to the players. Those tests came back again negative, but when you've got that sense of concern and anxiety in a dressing room - and we've been in this position ourselves - it can be difficult to reverse that," explained Harrison.
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The 49-year-old, who briefly represented Northamptonshire and Derbyshire, affirmed that the mental and physical health of players is paramount in the game.
"I think fans do understand this now, but the physical and mental health of players is as important as each other. When the mental health situation starts to happen it can pervade through a dressing room very quickly and it can be incredibly hard to get people where they need to be to deliver at the highest level possible."
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Asked whether the ECB's insurance covered a cancellation in case of COVID-19, Harrison said, "Yes, it does. We've got different types of insurance and it's a complex space. But the reality is all fans who bought tickets for this event will get their money back. As far as fans are concerned the only difference between a forfeiture and cancellation is the result (of the match and the series)."
