ICC Board Meeting: BCCI To Request More Time For T20 World Cup Decision; Other Critical Issues To Be Discussed

A plethora of critical issues are set to come under discussion in the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC)’s meeting in which BCCI will also participate. The conference will occur on Tuesday virtually, where BCCI will seek a month’s time to decide the venue for the T20 World Cup. The particular issue bulges up due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in India and if it does not improve by the year-end.

Last week, the BCCI announced that the remaining 31 matches of IPL 2021 will occur in the UAE, confirming the rumours. The Indian cricket board had to postpone the tournament as four franchises reported a handful of COVID-19 positive cases and India struggling to combat the devastating second wave of the outbreak. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has already claimed that if the situation drastically improves by the year-end, India will host it, else UAE remains the second option.

While earlier it was decided that BCCI President Sourav Ganguly will attend the meeting in person, it has emerged he would be present virtually. The former Indian skipper will leave for the UAE on Wednesday to meet with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to discuss the organizational issues of IPL 2021. However, since there are no concrete decisions expected on Tuesday, the BCCI will keep another Special General Meeting (SGM). The ICC will likely make a formal announcement of its final decision during its annual conference on the 18th of July.

It is still not a situation where we can firmly commit to hosting the World T20: BCCI official

A senior BCCI official conceded that while the COVID-19 cases have dropped, they cannot firmly commit to hosting the ICC World T20. Hence, he believes President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah were right in asking for an extension of time to make a decision. The official also pointed out the uncertainties of the rise in cases as they are suddenly prone to rise in various parts.

“The COVID-19 cases are reducing but obviously it is still not a situation where we can firmly commit to hosting the World T20. Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah are right in asking for one month’s time to decide. Obviously, they will also get feedback from the government whether it would be prudent to host it in India. The second aspect is that you never know when the cases will rise again. Right now, the lockdown in various parts of the country is yielding some good results but as we had seen the sudden surge during IPL, the situation remains fluid,” the official said as quoted by India Today.

The other topics that are set to come under discussion in the ICC Board meeting are the tax issues, the FTP cycle for the next eight years, the future of the ICC World Test Championship, and making the women’s cricket’s structure more robust.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Crowds Likely To Be Allowed In The UAE For The Second Leg