CUP CONUNDRUM
BCCI seeks one month for final call on T20 WC
The BCCI on Saturday decided to seek one month’s time from the ICC to assess the Covid-19 situation in India before taking a final call on the ICC T20 World Cup.
A BCCI official said all the members want the T20 World Cup to be held in India in last week of October but no decision can be taken right now.
“The BCCI representatives — president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah — will be seeking time till July 1 after which another SGM will be held to decide on whether we would go ahead with hosting of World T20.
“Right now, the health situation in the country doesn’t allow us to take any final decision.”
GANGULY, SHAH TO TRAVEL TO DUBAI
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah will join vice president Rajiv Shukla in Dubai for the ICC Board Meeting on June 1 where there will be discussions on the fate of the T20 World Cup in India in october. “As they will ask for one month’s time, the best option for BCCI is to hold it in Maharashtra — three grounds in Mumbai and one in Pune. However, the issue of Pakistan travelling to Mumbai could be more of a political decision where the security will also need to be factored in,” the official said.
The senior state association member said there is also a tax rebate issue which is still an ongoing process.
“ICC wants tax waivers but we have to abide by government guidelines. But a World T20 in India means that all the stakeholders happen to gain. But sitting in May, you can’t predict the health emergency in October. So we need some time,” he said. —