ICC defers decision on T20 World Cup and other matters till June 10

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board met via teleconference yesterday with all agenda items deferred until June 10 following a discussion, led by outgoing Chairman Shashank Manohar, around the issue of confidentiality.

After months of uncertainty, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was expected to finally decide on the fate of the men’s 2020 World T20 in Australia with an eye on the Covid-19 pandemic yesterday. The flagship event was slated to be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15.

The ICC in its release said: “A number of board members had raised their concerns over this issue recently and felt it required immediate attention to ensure the sanctity and confidentiality of board matters in line with the highest standards of governance.

“There was unanimous agreement to immediately initiate an independent investigation led by the ICC’s Ethics Officer and supported by global experts. The board will be updated on this by the ICC CEO at its next meeting on 10 June 2020.

“The Board also requested the ICC management continue with their discussions with stakeholders in exploring various contingency options in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the Covid-19 virus.”

It was earlier reported that not just member boards, but also cricketers from Australia weren’t too positive about the showpiece event going ahead as per plan due to the pandemic. The next T20 World Cup is slated to be played in India in 2021. And if the event doesn’t happen in 2020, this edition will be held in 2022.

Meanwhile, England’s domestic season was pushed back yesterday until at least Aug. 1 because of the pandemic and its restrictions, Reuters reported.

“Naturally we want to see cricket being played at every level,” England and Wales cricket Board (ECB) chief executive, Tom Harrison, said in a statement. “We remain hopeful of seeing both domestic and recreational cricket this season...”

England are preparing to host a three-test series against West Indies in July. “We have learned a lot and continue to learn about the safety protocols that would need to be in place to stage international cricket behind closed doors in this environment and those protocols will also need to apply to the domestic game,” Harrison added.