After all the anticipation that had built around the fifth and final Test match of the India-England Test series, fans across the world were disappointed after the match was cancelled due to Covid concerns in the Indian camp. While the reason was enough on its own and shouldn’t have invited any further scrutiny, the English fans infamous for their mindless jabber targeted IPL, BCCI and Indian players.
Given the series was played in the middle of a pandemic and, with the Indian contingent travelling with their families, comprising little kids, one would have expected English fans to courteously accept the decision of the Indian team. However, the unruly English fans were more interested in mudslinging accusations that Indian players wanted to chicken out and that BCCI wanted to protect its prized baby i.e IPL.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan claimed India had England cricket down before quickly monkey balancing his statement with the way England let South Africa Cricket down.
India have let English Cricket down !!! But England did let South African Cricket down !!!
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) September 10, 2021
The English board and its haphazardness were on full display when it put out a statement about the cancellation of the match. The statement read that India had “regrettably forfeited” the match which meant the series would have ended 2-2. However, before the controversy could spiral, ECB quickly corrected its mistake and omitted the phrase.
Look inwards ECB – Akash Chopra
Former Indian opener and commentator Akash Chopra shared a video on his YouTube channel and pointed out that the ECB should reflect on their own past actions before pointing fingers.
He elaborated, “You (ECB) have to look slightly inwards. You came back from South Africa, there was no positive case in your contingent. Sri Lanka – you went back again. You went back to your home from other nations in a jiffy. So, why such sudden desensitization towards COVID?”
https://youtu.be/96WeQZS_tXI
“My take is that these are extraordinary circumstances. You have to and should consider it a COVID cancellation, for the simple reason that you might not have COVID now but it is found after three or four days, or your neighbor gets it, then you are not in the right frame of mind. It is not that COVID has not happened and you are thinking about ways to get out of the series.”
Even England legend Kevin Pietersen echoed Chopra’s statements and tweeted, “England left the tour of SA for Covid scares & cost CSA plenty, so don’t go pointing fingers!
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1436242834378698755
ECB should agree to the rescheduling—Sunil Gavaskar
Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar gave the example of the 26/11 terror attacks and remarked that England went back after the attacks but returned later under the captaincy of Pietersen and finished the series. He added that BCCI has offered ECB to complete the series at a later date and that should be the relationship between the two boards.
However, so far, the response from the English board has been not so encouraging, to say the least as high ranking officials have remarked that if and when the match happens, it will be a standalone game.
Gavaskar said, “Yes, I think that the decision of rescheduling the cancelled Manchester Test would be the correct thing to do. We should never forget what the England team did in 2008 after the horrific attack, the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The English team came back. They were perfectly entitled to say, ‘we don’t feel safe, so We will not come back’. Never forget that Kevin Pietersen led the team, and he was the main man. If KP had said no and refused then that would have been the end of the matter.”
Euro 2020 and the uncouth English fans
This is not the first time that English fans have been called out for their behaviour. As good as the performance of the ‘three lions’ was on the pitch during Euro 2020, it was all diluted by the brash, raucous, uncivilized and uncouth behaviour by the English fans and spectators alike.
Hours before the kickoff, thousands of English fans started gathering on the streets leading to the Stadium. However, as the time of the kickoff drew close, the English fans started turning into hooligans, under the heavy influence of alcohol, and created some distasteful scenes, littering the place with garbage and indulging in hostile behaviour.
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1414511769884794881
Groups of England fans without tickets forced their way through the Wembley turnstiles. Supporters breached security barriers outside the stadium and squeezed behind ticket-holders and burst through the electronic gates that allow entry to the concourses and seats. The videos of fans creating ruckus and battling with stewards and police to go past the lines surfaced on social media and received widespread criticism.
Read More: England fans show their barbarity at Euro finals 2020
Racist behaviour against own players
Marcus Rashford, the young Manchester United striker who missed an unfortunate penalty on the big stage, along with other young striplings in Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka received racial abuse and vitriol on the online platforms. Rashford’s mural in Manchester was vandalised by the miscreants as well.
Do not racially abuse those players tonight !
— Jofra Archer (@JofraArcher) July 11, 2021
Surely, the way the series of incidents that transpired on the day of the match could have been dealt with differently so that the spectators did not have to suffer. However, calling out the Indian team for falling on the side of safety and precaution while humanity discernibly battles a dangerous virus – not ok for the English fans.
