ICC threatens to stop 20/20 World Cup in India

Sydney: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is threatening to move the 2021 edition of the Twenty20 World Cup away from India.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) risks losing hosting rights to next year’s tournament, unless it secures a tax exemption from the country’s Government for the tournament, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. Correspondence showed that the ICC was seeking “unconditional confirmation” from the BCCI that it had resolved the tax issue by May 18, as reported by Sport Business.

The BCCI requested an extension to the deadline until June 30 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but this request was rejected by the ICC.

In a message to the BCCI dated April 29, ICC general counsel, Jonathan Hall, wrote that the ICC’s Business Corporation (IBC) was “entitled to terminate the agreement with immediate effect at any time” from May 18.

This came after the BCCI invoked the “force majeure” clause, citing the pandemic as an unforeseeable circumstance that prevented them from fulfilling the terms of the host agreement, a claim it is understood the governing body has since withdrawn.

Hall’s email added: “The BCCI has clearly had many years to arrange the tax solution, which is why the agreement asks for it to be provided, no later than 18 months prior, and why the BCCI was required to provide it by December 31 2019.

“In such circumstances IBC is not prepared to agree to the requested extension to June 30 2020 or 30 days after the lockdown is lifted, whichever is later.”

The tax issue dates back to October 2018, when the ICC board first publicly stated that the issue needed resolving.

The 2021 T20 World Cup is due to take place in India in October and November next year.