T20 World Cup ‘all but certain’ to be delayed: Report
Image : Collected
|| Desk Report ||
The 2020 ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in October-November in Australia, is set to be delayed due to the upward trend of the coronavirus worldwide pandemic according to reports in the Australian media.
As per a report of the Sydney Morning Herald, no formal decision had been made yet as of Monday but it claimed that the extravaganza tournament ‘is all but certain’ to be delayed.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) last month deferred its final decision on the T20 World Cup fate to July.
“We’ll only get one chance to make this decision and it needs to be the right one and as such we will continue to consult with our Members, broadcasters, partners, governments and players and to ensure that we make a well-informed decision,” ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney had said after its board meeting in June.
The Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Earl Edding had admitted last month that holding the T20 World Cup in 2020 is ‘unrealistic’.
“While it hasn’t been formally called off this year, or postponed, trying to get 16 countries into Australia in the current world, where most countries are still going through COVID spiking, I think it’s unrealistic, or it’s going to be very, very difficult,” Earl Edding had told reporters.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to hold this year’s edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the October window if the T20 World Cup is postponed or delayed later this year or next year.
IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel has said last month that they are just waiting on the decision on the T20 World Cup and are prepared to hold the IPL in September and October.
“Yes, we’re ready to go with the IPL in the September-October window. Everything is planned and ready. Will have to follow the guidelines and SOPs, for medical and other things,” Patel was quoted as saying by ANI in June.
“We’re waiting for the announcement from ICC on T20 World Cup. If it is not happening, we can hold IPL,” he added.
