'If It's Going To Be A Drain On Resources, Then It's Not Right To Play T20 World Cup In India': Pat Cummins

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has opined that it won’t be feasible for India to host the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup given it might a huge drain on its resources as it fights the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and a third wave is expected to come when the tournament is to be played.

The IPL 2021 in which Pat Cummins participated for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was postponed indefinitely, after two of his teammates Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested COVID positive. Apart from him, two other players- Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha were also found positive for the deadly virus along with a couple of Chennai Super Kings coaches and support staff.

India is supposed to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in October-November and there are hopes that the current wrath of the pandemic will subside by then, thanks to the vaccination drive underway.

But Pat Cummins, who was the first cricketer to donate money ($50,000) towards India’s fight against COVID-19, believes the resources put into hosting the 16-team tournament can be put to good use.

The Priority Should Be For Cricket Authorities To Work With The Indian Government To See What’s Best For The Indian People: Pat Cummins

As per reports, a third wave is expected to hit India around the time the T20 World Cup is to be played in India and there are doubts whether it would be possible to hold the ICC marquee event in the country. The ICC and BCCI have already handpicked the UAE and Sri Lanka as potential backup venues.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Pat Cummins said that it is too early to take a call on shifting the venue of the ICC tournament.

“It probably too early to say. It’s six months away. The priority should be for cricket authorities to work with the Indian government to see what’s best for the Indian people. If it’s going to be a drain on resources or it’s not going to be safe, then I don’t think it’s right to play it over here. That’s the first question which needs to be answered,” Cummins said.

India is reeling under the immense number of people testing positive for the COVID-19 virus and has been reporting over 3.50 lakh cases per day for more than the past week or so.

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