Just a couple of days more for the action to start and there is palpable excitement in the air. It is always a pulsating feeling as a Test series gets underway but this time the thrill is even more as the suspense will end soon with the first Test between England and West Indies getting underway at Southampton on July 8. After all, this is is not just another international contest but one being played in a biosecure environment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
For long it appeared that the contest would not even take off nor would the series between England and Pakistan to follow be played. But now one is just days away from the start of the England – West Indies series and the Pakistan team is already in England after serious doubts over their arrival with members of the touring party testing positive for Covid-19. However, following further tests that came out negative most of the squad is now in England and the others will arrive this week after being in isolation at a hotel in Lahore.
West Indies had two intrasquad warm-up games and even if the rain did interfere with the proceedings they will be happy with the preparations. England on their part also had a couple of intrasquad warm-up matches with 27 players taking part – 13 on one side, 14 on the other. All three teams have inflated squads keeping in mind that anything can happen in the shadow of the pandemic which has not really abated. But all the necessary precautions, safety measures, and quarantines are in place to try and ensure that the Tests are played without any hiccups. For the sake of cricket, the players and everyone associated with the sport one fervently hopes that the proceedings will be smooth for this could show the way forward for the several international matches scheduled to take place in the near future.
Under the circumstances England’s head coach Chris Silverwood has shown the right spirit in thanking both West Indies and Pakistan for agreeing to come on the tour even as he has had a word of praise for everyone involved with the return of Test cricket. In fact, the game marks the return of international cricket for the last such match was the ODI between New Zealand and Australia at Sydney on March 13.
In the meantime Ben Stokes has been predictably appointed England’s captain a change always on the cards once it was known that Joe Root will miss the first Test to attend the birth of his second child. Even if it is likely to be a temporary appointment there is always going to be some excitement with England’s dynamic all-rounder in charge.
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