'This is all about the IPL': Former England bowler on fifth Test being cancelled

Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison expressed his displeasure over the cancellation of the fifth Test between India and England and termed it as ‘the beginning of the end of Test cricket’.

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He targeted IPL as the main reason behind the cancellation of the Test match. “It’s rubbish, it really is. My initial thoughts are that this is the beginning of the end for Test cricket,” Harmison told TalkSport.

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"But this is all about the IPL. End of. As much as I’d want to sugarcoat it, I don’t think I can.

"The IPL starts in five days, and a month before the tour started India asked if they could move the last Test match forward or clear four days so they can fit the IPL in.

"All of a sudden this happens. It doesn’t sit well with me and I feel so sorry for the people of Manchester," he added.

"We don’t know the full facts, but when teams are pulling out like that, two hours before the match, this is down to players saying, 'if we contract COVID now we have to stay here for ten days and the IPL is starting'.

"It’s a short window there and money makes the world go round, but there’s a point where integrity comes into it.

“For me, this is India flexing their muscles and saying, 'we’re not interested in playing – my bat, my ball, see you later',” Harmison added.

However, he even added that England can't play the blame game as they did the same thing by pulling out from the South Africa limited-overs series last year.

“Let’s be fair before we start throwing stones, England did it to South Africa. Let’s get that straight from the very start,” he said.