ICC unlikely to decide T20 World Cup's fate before August
With hosts Australia being under a lockdown that could last up to six months, there is a strong belief that the World T20 scheduled to kick off from October 18 might get postponed to a later date. It’s noteworthy that the country has also imposed a complete travel ban, sealing its borders till 30th September.
However, if a report in the Times of India is to be believed, the International Cricket Council is in no hurry to take a call on the matter and is willing to wait till late August before deciding on the future of the tournament.
"Right now, things look bleak, and people's health is the first priority. However, what if the situation improves in a few months' time? What if the ICC announces that the T20 World Cup is postponed in May itself, and things improve a couple of months down the line, and cricket's governing realizes that it took a hasty decision. The ICC will take time to decide on the fate of this event, until as late as August. Don't expect any announcement before that," the newspaper quoted a source.
"As of now, everything will proceed as per plan, and assuming that the tournament will be held as per its original dates. So, all other preparations by the ICC's Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Australia, which is already in place, will be on in full swing.”
There are also suggestions that the tournament is held inside closed doors. However, the commercial viability of the move remains a concern.
In the meantime, the ICC has decided to schedule a Chief Executives Committees (CECs) meeting via videoconferencing on Thursday. With the international cricket calendar having taken a severe hit, the meeting is expected to chart a course to revise the Future Tours Programme (FTP). The BCCI will be represented by secretary Jay Shah in the meeting.
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