As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been wreaking havoc around the world, the world body of cricket – International Cricket Council (ICC) will have to take a final call on the future of the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled in Australia from October 18 to November 15.
ICC is willing the consider the option of shifting the upcoming T20 World Cup to 2022 as the board member are going to meet on May 28. A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the T20 World Cup in the wake of coronavirus outbreak and shifting it may find favors with Cricket Australia, a Board member said.
Ahead of the ICC Board Meeting, Cricket Committee will be discussing the playing conditions including applying sweat and saliva on the ball. It is expected that ICC’s Events Committee headed by Chris Tetley will present multiple options.
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AS per the quotes in PTI, a board member said, “We are expecting three options from the ICC Events Committee. The first option is having World T20 as per schedule with 14-day quarantine with the crowd being allowed. The back-up for this option could be tournament in-front of an empty stadium. The third option could be shifting the tournament to 2022.”
The Board meeting will also be discussing the extension for Chairman Shashank Manohar but primarily the focus will be on deciding the fate of the T20 World Cup.
Talking about the T20 World Cup further, a board member said, “CA wouldn’t be too unhappy if the World T20 is shifted to 2022. At the end of the day, ICC is made up of members. If members decide that bilateral series are more important, you can’t discount that. Also, ICC might find its cash flow being hampered but it’s a short-term problem. If the tournament happens in 2022, the parent body doesn’t lose anything because it’s deferment, not a postponement.”
The board member will also discuss the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), as it will need a much-needed window if the COVID-19 pandemic is under control by then. The Indian team can travel to Australia after the IPL. The Board member also cited a few problems which may lead to deferment of the T20 World Cup.
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The board official added, “The costs of quarantine arrangements for 16 teams with support staff plus TV crew will be huge. Add to that if in some of the countries, normalcy doesn’t return, whether traveling will be safe by then. So it can’t be postponed by a few months, say February-March, 2021. It’s not a great idea as we have Women’s ODI World Cup and the two ICC events should not clash. The Women’s World Cup is a much safer bet, there will only be eight teams.”
