In a recent interview, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said – “India’s players should not be blamed for refusing to play the fifth Test against England, insisting that their physio’s positive Covid-19 diagnosis left them “dead scared” they would contract the virus themselves”
The 5th and Final Test match between India vs England was all set to play at Manchester but due to few Covid Cases in the Indian Camp, the final test had to be cancelled. Indian team physio Nitin Patel, Yogesh Parmar and a few other supporting staff were tested positive for the deadly virus.
Team India was leading the series with 2-1 and they were hungry to win the series on a higher note.
Ganguly said that – “The players refused to play but you can’t blame them. Physio Yogesh Parmar was in close contact with the players. Being the only one available, after Nitin Patel isolated himself, he mixed freely with the players and even performed their Covid-19 tests. He gave them a massage, he was part of their everyday lives“
He has also added – “The players were devastated when they came to know he had tested positive. They feared they must have contracted the disease and were dead scared. It’s not easy staying in a bubble“.
“We have to respect Players Inner feelings” – Sourav Ganguly
And now Indian players will be soon seen playing the 2nd phase of IPL 2021 at UAE. Most of the players have already reached and are under strict quarantine.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison has also said – “Let me be super clear, I don’t think the IPL has anything to do with this. This is not a situation that has been created by the rescheduled IPL, I fundamentally do not believe that for a second. This Indian cricket team is as passionate about Test cricket as fans in our country are.”
