The sport is being caught between the playing needs of its historical format and its perceived financial needs
Joe Root, captain of the England cricket team, said his side had to “learn from the challenges” of playing in India after their chastening Test series defeat earlier this month. He put a brave face on a crushing disappointment. This should have been a wonderful series, but as with so much sport at the moment, Covid put paid to that. Being in a bubble and having to play four Tests in rapid succession are not conducive to proper sporting contests.
England were undone by a rather ham-fisted squad rotation system that saw key players coming and going at regular intervals. The idea is well-meaning – England have an impossibly demanding schedule this year and fear player burnout – but the policy was disrespectful to India, currently the world’s strongest cricketing nation. England have said that they might resort to rotation again during the series against Australia in the winter, but will they really? One feels that the series against India is seen as a rung below an Ashes tour: an outdated view now that India are so compelling.
