'It was laughable when the cancellation was blamed on Covid concerns.'
Paul Newman, a former English cricketer, has slammed the Indian cricketers and BCCI.
Former seamer Newman, who has played 135 first-class matches and 177 List A games, accused the Indian cricket team of putting IPL over Test cricket, and claimed the players were not keen enough on completing the series last year itself.
The Indian team have assembled in England for a three-week long tour, during which the team will play the suspended Test, followed by three T20Is and the same number of 50-over matches.
In his column for the Daily Mail, Newman wrote: 'The arrival of India to complete a Test series that should have ended at Old Trafford last summer is a reminder of how they let down the paying public and Test cricket by pulling out of the final game.'
'It was laughable when the cancellation was blamed on Covid concerns and a game India never wanted to play was abandoned when they put the IPL before Test cricket and set a dangerous precedent.'
He is not the only one who blamed IPL for the cancellation of the tour midway.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan too had made similar observation. In a tweet posted on September 11 last year, Vaughan wrote: 'IPL teams chartering planes .. 6 days quarantining required in the UAE .. 7 days till the tournament starts !!!! Don't tell me the Test was cancelled for any other reason but the IPL ..'
The rescheduled Test between India and England will start from July 1. However, it was originally scheduled to be played in Old Trafford last year, but was suspended after a series of COVID-19 positive cases emerged in the Indian camp.
