India to host World Twenty20 in 2021
KOLKATA: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is looking at T20 to grow the game and, hopefully, be part of the 2028 Olympics. In the process, it buried the 50-over Champions Trophy, the next edition of which was to be hosted by India in 2021. That will now be a World T20.
This announcement came from ICC CEO David Richardson on Thursday in the city where Jagmohan Dalmiya lived. It was during Dalmiya’s stint as ICC president that the Champions Trophy was birthed.
Speaking to the media, Richardson said all T20 matches between two countries would be accorded international status and a ranking system introduced for teams from 1 to 104.
For women, all T20 between countries would be internationals from July 1, 2018. For men, it would start from January 1, 2019 after the qualifying cycle for 2020 World T20 in Australia. The rankings for women will start from October 2018 and those for men from May 2019.
“The T20 format, we always knew, was a vehicle for growing our game, transforming it into a truly global sport instead of one being played by a few,” said Richardson. A T20 match between, say Fiji and Vanuatu, would now also be an international, he said. Internationals being played by more countries could also help the ICC seek acceptance by the International Olympic Committee for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, he said.
The World T20 thus would now be held in successive years, 2020 and 2021 after a 50-over World Cup in 2019. Richardson said the decision to convert the Champions Trophy to a T20 World Cup was unanimous, adding that the representative from BCCI too was present at that meeting.
“The Champions Trophy was too similar to the World Cup. Yes, it is unfortunate that we will have a T20 World Cup and another one 12 months later but it is happening because of the scheduling. There was a possibility of shifting it to 2022 but with all the bilateral tours, we decided to stick to the same time slot. Going forward, there will a World T20 every two years and every four years a (50-over) World Cup,” he said.
So, there will be a 50-over World Cup in England in 2019, a World T20 in 2020 in Australia and a World T20, possibly in India if the issue of the ICC seeking tax exemptions from the Indian government is solved, in 2021 followed by a 50-over World Cup in 2023, also in India. The first world Test championship will be held over a two-year period from 2019 and the second from 2021.
THE ICC GAVE A QUIET BURIAL TO CHAMPIONS TROPHY, THE NEXT EDITION OF WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO BE PLAYED IN INDIA IN 2021
SERIOUS ON SANCTIONS
Admitting that fines weren’t working and that there have been too many instances of unacceptable player behaviour, Richardson said the ICC would work towards formulating heavier sanctions for ball tampering and “all other offences indicative of a lack of respect for opponents, the game, umpires, fans and the media.”
Inputs for stricter codes would be sought from Allan Border, Shaun Pollock and Richie Richardson.