Which international cricket tours/matches were cancelled in 2021?

The cancelation of a cricket match or a tour is a costly affair, but the year 2021 has seen it in abundance. The cricket fraternity has been gravely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic ever since it broke out in early 2020. Even with the introduction of safe bio-bubble protocols, various tours and games were forced to be called off due to the threat of the dangerous virus.

Even though the hosts are mandated to maintain the highest standards of safety for the participating squads, the COVID-19 has time and again managed to sneak through and affect the players or support staff.

In this article, we take a look at a list of all tours or matches that were canceled in the year 2021.

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#1 UAE vs Ireland (January 2021)

UAE and Ireland were scheduled to play a four-match ODI series in the UAE in January 2021. However, the series was postponed before the commencement of the second ODI after players from the UAE squad tested positive for COVID-19.

While the second and third ODIs of the tour were called off, the fourth match was given the go-ahead and went on as scheduled.

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#2 Australia vs South Africa (February 2021)

In an important series leading to the first ever World Test Championship (WTC) final, Australia pulled out of the three-match Test series against South Africa over COVID-19 fears.

Cricket Australia (CA) mentioned that the second wave of the deadly virus, which was then spreading rapidly in South Africa, posed new and unknown threats to the squad, and it was medically not advisable to play cricket under such circumstances.

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#3 England vs Netherlands (May 2021)

England were scheduled to travel to the Netherlands to play a series of three-match ODI series in May 2021, but COVID-19 once again played spoilsport. A few months before the series, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) postponed it by 12 months citing "continuing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic" as a reason for the same.

While the series is currently slated to be played in May 2022, it remains to be seen if it will be postponed even further, given that the threat of the virus still looms large.

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#4 England vs India (September 2021)

The five-Test series between India and England was heading towards a fitting finale before COVID-19 played spoilsport once again. During the fourth Test, Team India's support staff members, including head coach Ravi Shastri, tested positive for the deadly virus. After all the players tested negative, the Test went on as scheduled.

However, the number of cases began to rise in the Indian camp before the fifth and final Test. Following this, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ECB jointly decided to call-off the final Test, with the series being 2-1 in India's favor.

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#5 Pakistan vs New Zealand (September 2021)

Minutes before the commencement of a limited-overs series consisting of three ODIs and five T20Is between the two nations, New Zealand were forced to pull out of the tournament citing "security concerns".

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White said that it was "simply not possible" for the Kiwis to continue the tour after the New Zealand government advised its players to return.

Interestingly, this was the first cancelation of 2021 due to a reason not related to COVID-19. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a strong statement against the New Zealand board following the event.

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#6 Bangladesh vs England (September/October 2021)

England were scheduled to tour Bangladesh in September/October 2021 for a white-ball series consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is. However, due to a packed schedule and complex COVID-19 related protocols in place, the ECB decided to postpone the tour to March 2023.

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#7 India vs New Zealand (December 2021)

Team India were supposed to fly to New Zealand after hosting them in November for two Tests and three T20Is. However, a packed cricketing calendar and COVID-19-related restrictions caused the BCCI and NZC to mutually decide on pushing the tour to 2022.

The series is now expected to be played immediately after the 2022 T20 World Cup. Since the World Cup will be played in Australia, it is expected that it will ease travel problems for the two teams, and a bubble transfer will be possible.

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Notably, marquee T20 leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) were also affected by COVID-19. However, both leagues managed to find an alternate slot to be conducted. The second leg of IPL 2021 begins on Sunday, September 19, 2021 in the UAE.