Unlike some English cricketers like Michael Vaughan and Steve Harmison, Nasser Hussain refused to blame India and especially the IPL for the cancellation of the fifth Test match between India and England that was supposed to be played at Old Trafford in Manchester.
BCCI has been under a lot of fire from English fans and ex-cricketers since the match was canceled. Hussain was responding to the comments that were faced by the BCCI.
"The people I felt most sorry for during Friday's extra-ordinary turn of events were a group in our game who habitually deserve more respect - the fans - and the villain of the piece was not India but cricket’s relentless schedule," Hussain wrote in the Daily Mail.
Hussain said that the rescheduling of the match in the coming week became impossible due to the IPL, but he also blamed the packed cricket schedules for the same.
"Unfortunately, though, it is where we are in the world of cricket right now due to a packed schedule and the elephant in the room that is the Indian Premier League.
"As soon as Covid got into the tourists’ camp, some of the decision-making was about that tournament, and it is worth remembering that India have always been wary about the positioning of this Test match so close to it," he said.
Earlier, Michael Vaughan had written: "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 .."
Similar were reactions by some other England players. These developments took place after the manchester Test was canceled.
After an initial statement from ECB confusion prevailed as they used the term "forfeited" implying that the five-match Test series has ended in a 2-2 draw. Later the statement was altered and the word "forfeited" was removed.