India are due to face England in a five-Test series scheduled to run from August 4 to September 14; moving tour forward would create a bigger window for the completion of the Indian Premier League before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup begins in mid-October
Tuesday 1 June 2021 20:31, UK
The England and Wales Cricket Board says there has been "no official request" from India to shift the dates of this summer's Test series.
Reports have suggested that alterations to the schedule have been broached on an informal basis to help find a suitable window for the completion of the postponed IPL.
The tournament was postponed earlier this month due to the coronavirus crisis in India and 31 matches still remain to be played.
Further articles originating in the Indian press suggested officials at the Board of Control for Cricket in India had considered the idea of bringing forward their five-match series in England, which is due to begin on August 4 and end on September 14 to help fulfil the outstanding fixtures.
However, an ECB spokesperson said: "We talk to the BCCI on a regular basis about a wide range of issues especially as we address the challenges of Covid-19, but have had no official request to change dates and are continuing to plan for the five-Test series as is scheduled."
Moving the start of the series forward would have a knock-on impact on host venues and ticket-holders as well as create further competition between The Hundred and the Test series, which already overlap by two weeks.
Watch The Hundred on Sky Sports Cricket from Wednesday July 21 and the start of England's Test series against India on Wednesday August 4.
Before then, catch day one of the first Test between England and New Zealand live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Wednesday June 2.
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