IPL 2020: Clash sees England tour of India shifted to 2021

London: England’s limited-overs tour of India that was scheduled for late September has been postponed to early 2021, officials confirmed on Friday.

While the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cited the prevailing COVID-19 conditions in India, the tour would also have clashed with the revised dates of the Indian Premier League that is scheduled for September 19-November 10 in the UAE.

The IPL was due to be staged earlier in the year but was postponed due to COVID-19, taking up a slot vacated by the shift of the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia to next year.

The ECB is now in discussions for a tour that will include fixtures in all three formats from late January to late March next year.

“International cricket between India and England is a highlight of the cricketing calendar and we look forward to working with the BCCI to firm-up the schedules for these eagerly anticipated tours as soon as possible,” ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in a media release.

Jay Shah, honorary secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said they were thankful for the cooperation of the ECB that allows the IPL to go ahead unhindered.

“I am pleased with the way BCCI and ECB have managed the situation,” he said. “The rescheduled tour is also being redesigned in a way to accommodate both red and white-ball formats and will now be a comprehensive one.”