Team India can play two extra T20 Internationals (T20Is) in their next visit to England if the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) accept the offer by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The Indian cricket board’s secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that the BCCI has made an offer to ECB to play two more T20Is instead of three in order to settle for an amicable resolution over the standoff that emerged following the cancellation of the Manchester Test.
BCCI is doing this so that the ECB can recover the losses incurred from the cancellation of the fifth and final Test between England and India, but with the condition that there should not be a demand for the forfeiture.
“It is correct that we have offered to play two extra T20Is when we visit England next July (only for the white-ball games). Instead of three T20Is, we will play five T20Is. Alternately, we will be willing to play a one-off Test as well. It is up to them to choose either of the offers,” Shah told Cricbuzz.
“However, the offer — designed to help ease a potential shortfall of 40 million pounds in English cricket’s already stretched budget — would be instead of, not as well as, the rescheduled Test. The offer of a rescheduled Test still stands.” Shah confirmed as reported by the Daily Mail.
Notably, the fifth Test was called off two hours before the scheduled start at Old Trafford in Manchester because of coronavirus concerns within the Indian camp.
Further, Shah also shared his views on the recent media reports that suggested Rohit Sharma could replace Virat Kohli as captain in the white-ball format after the completion of the T20 World Cup 2021. Shah denied any intention of the apex Indian board to split the international captaincy between Virat and Rohit.
“There is no such proposal, and the team is led by Virat, and we are backing him. We are sensitive to the fact that such a proposal is not in the interest of the Indian team when it will take part in a World Cup,” added Shah.
