The International Cricket Council (ICC) shared its contingency plans for the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled for October-November in Australia at a meeting of the Chief Executives’ Committee on Thursday. ICC hasn’t given up hope on staging the event this year, even if it is a closed door World Cup, members were told—12 full members and three from Associate nations took part. Still, the global body is weighing the option of a postponement to February next year, or even to 2022.
If travel restrictions are not lifted in Australia and the Cup is pushed to next year, it would mean two T20 World Cups in 2021, as India is also slated to host one later in the year. The Australian government’s travel ban for foreigners runs till September 30. Australian PM Scott Morrison though signalled on Thursday he could let New Zealand Warriors in to play in a resumed National Rugby League competition, which rugby league officials hope will kick off next month.
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“Both options - one to stage two T20 World Cups in 2021, as well as to push it to 2022 are in contingencies. These are extraordinary circumstances,” a board executive who attended the meet said; 2022 is the only year when no world event is scheduled.
ICC medical committee’s expert account of Covid 19 impact shared with the members was not encouraging for the resumption of cricket soon. Its chairman Dr Peter Harcourt said, “The scale and complexity of getting cricket started again cannot be underestimated particularly with respect to a global event. The more teams, venues and cities involved in an event, the greater the risk which has to be assessed and managed.”
{{/usCountry}}ICC medical committee’s expert account of Covid 19 impact shared with the members was not encouraging for the resumption of cricket soon. Its chairman Dr Peter Harcourt said, “The scale and complexity of getting cricket started again cannot be underestimated particularly with respect to a global event. The more teams, venues and cities involved in an event, the greater the risk which has to be assessed and managed.”
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BCCI remains hopeful. If the T20 World Cup is postponed, it opens up a window for IPL this year. That is assuming the spread of coronavirus is arrested in India.