BCCI has not officially asked to reschedule Test series, England board says

India has not made any “official request” to reschedule the upcoming five-match Test series, the England and Wales Cricket Board has said. The series is scheduled to take place in August and September, which has been rumoured to preponed to create a window for the remaining fixtures of the postponed Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played out. There are still 31 matches left to be played in the cash-rich league with little time to conduct them.

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According to reports in the Indian press, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has considered rescheduling the Test series in England to create a window to conduct the remaining IPL matches, AFP reported.

“We talk to the BCCI on a regular basis about a wide range of issues especially as we address the challenges of COVID-19, but have had no official request to change dates and are continuing to plan for the five Test series as is scheduled,” said an ECB spokesman.

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Moving the series would create difficulties for the host venues and fans, who were shut out in 2020. It could also clash with the launch of The Hundred competition.