ICC postpones T20 World Cup, clears IPL path
MUMBAI:AS anticipated, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to postpone this year’s T20 World Cup that was scheduled to be held in Australia in October-november by a year to October-november in 2021. The decision, taken after four months of monitoring, was arrived at an ICC board meeting held online on Monday.
The decision also paves the way for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host this year’s Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the window opened up by the postponed World T20.
“The decision to postpone the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was taken after careful consideration of all of the options available to us and gives us the best possible opportunity of delivering two safe and successful T20 World Cups for fans around the world,” ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said. ICC also shifted the dates of the 2023 50-over World Cup in India from February-march to October-november with the final on November 26. “Moving the World Cup to a later window gives us a better chance of maintaining the integrity of the qualification process,” Sawhney said. “This additional time will be used to reschedule games that might be lost because of the pandemic ensuring qualification can be decided on the field of play.”
This means there will be three consecutive World Cup years, the T20 versions in 2021 and 2022 and the 50-over version in 2023. “Our members now have the clarity they need around event windows to enable them to reschedule lost bilateral and domestic cricket,” Sawhney added.
A decision on whether India will to host the 2021 T20 World Cup or whether that will go to Australia, will be taken later. The ICC has not warmed up to the idea of hosting the event in India unless BCCI resolves a long-standing tax-exemption issue with the Indian government. “The ICC Business Corporation(ibc) Board agreed to continue to monitor the rapidly changing situation and assess all the information available in order to make a considered decision on future hosts to ensure the sport is able to stage safe and successful global events in 2021 and 2022,” an ICC statement stated.
PATH CLEARED FOR IPL
Leading the rescheduling queue is BCCI which has a ~4,000 crore riding on IPL, its biggest money spinner. “Now that there is a window, we will seek government permission to host the IPL. We are looking to host it in UAE. A decision will be taken in the IPL governing council meeting, this week,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said.
It is learnt that BCCI’S contingency plan includes either a 43-day or 50-day closeddoor IPL, starting September 26.
BCCI is used to moving the IPL out of India, having done it in 2014 when the first part was held in the UAE and before that in 2009 to South Africa, both due to general elections.