(Reuters) – India A’s tour of England, scheduled for this summer, has been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday.
India A was due to face the English Lions as well as play warm-up games against their own national side, which is set to go head-to-head with England in a five-Test series across August and September.
Instead, Virat Kohli’s men will now travel with a larger squad and prepare for the test series with two four-day matches within the squad.
The ECB said the decision was made to change the calendar to provide “the safest environment possible” for the international matches scheduled over the summer of England.
“We look forward to welcoming India’s tour for men later this summer and when restrictions have eased,” ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in a statement.
The ECB also held talks with the cricket boards of the other three visiting teams this summer – New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and agreed to cancel their tour matches against English county teams.
The three visiting teams will also play matches within the squad in preparation for the international matches against England this summer.