BCCI eyeing for a formal postponement of T20 World Cup
Image : Collected
|| Desk Report ||
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is going to hold a meeting virtually on Monday to reach a decision regarding the fate of this year’s T20 World Cup with the BCCI hoping for a postponement to ensure that the IPL can go ahead.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is optimistic about scheduling the most lucrative franchise tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) in the September-November window at the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, the global event is supposed to be held from October 18 to November 15 in Australia. But the host country has already expressed their inability to host the quadrennial event amid a second surge of COVID-19 cases in the state of Victoria.
“The first step was postponement of the Asia Cup, which has happened. We can only start to move ahead with our plans after the ICC announces the postponement. They have been sitting on the decision even after Cricket Australia said that they are not too keen on hosting the event,” a BCCI Apex Council member told the media on conditions of anonymity.
If the event gets postponed then this year’s T20 World Cup will likely be rescheduled in Australia in 2022 as India isn’t willing to swap its 2021 hosting rights with Cricket Australia as of now.
As Cricket Australia announced a 26-player preliminary squad for a white-bowl series against England scheduled for late September, it’s clear that they aren’t going to host the mega event this year.
The apex body is still exploring all possible contingency options before taking any call.
“Pakistan was supposed to host the Champions Trophy in 2009. After the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus, everyone in their proper senses knew that PCB will never host a big event in the distant future,” said a source familiar with the functioning of the ICC.
“Yet, ICC deputed its employees in Pakistan for months when South Africa was already preparing to host the event. Everyone knew but a formal announcement of shift took months as threat assessment was part of protocol,” the source also said.
“The ICC couldn't have just postponed the T20 World Cup immediately as initially, the top ministers of the Australian government expressed keenness to host,” he added.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set themselves aside after vehemently opposing BCCI. The postponement of the Asia Cup, had a big blow to Ehsan Mani and his team.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions and the feeling is it (T20 World Cup) would not be possible this year. ICC has World Cups lined up in 2021 and 2023 so we have a gap year where we can adjust this event,” Mani had recently said while talking to reporters in his country.
