ICC T20 World Cup In October Seems Impractical, Says BCCI Official

The ICC T20 World Cup was supposed to be the marquee tournament of the year but the onslaught of the coronavirus has put a grave question mark on the viability of staging it as per the current schedule.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently held a meeting via video conference where multiple issues, ranging from revamping the Future Tour Program to postponing the World Test Championship and ODI Super League were discussed.

While the ICC agreed that the FTP and other tournaments including the postponement of the Test championship is the need of the hour, it also said that the preparations of the ICC T20 World Cup and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, 2021, will continue as per the original schedule.

But an official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is of the opinion that, given the current situation, holding the T20 World Cup in October is naive and impractical.

“To be honest, the T20 World Cup in October seems to be impractical, and even thinking of a gathering of people of that magnitude at this time is naive. I mean think about it. At this stage, you don’t know when international travel would be safe. Someone is saying June, someone is saying longer. Once travel does open up, it would be prudent to study the impact of travel as to whether the coronavirus remains controlled or not,” the official told IANS.

Read: ICC Will Give Preference To IPL More Than T20 World Cup Or Asia Cup: Basit Ali

BCCI Official questions the viability of staging ICC T20 World Cup in October

Pointing to the human side of the situation, the official asked whether the ICC and Cricket Australia be willing to take responsibility for the safety of the people involving in scheduling a tournament of such high magnitude.

Australia has sealed its borders till the end of September, and the official asked whether the Aussie government would be willing to take such a risk, besides asking that will the government of the member countries allow its players to travel.

“The question would then be whether the CA and the ICC are willing to stick their necks out and take responsibility for such an event where the number of people converging would be significant. Then it comes down to the governments. Would the Australian government want to take such a risk? If so, what would be the timeline of their approval? Would the time be sufficient for the other boards? Would the governments of other countries permit their teams to travel?” the official questioned.

The official also pointed at the most pressing issue- fans’ safety.

“Lastly, with the condition that everyone is going through at the moment, would the fans want to gather in a stadium at this stage? Or would the tickets of only one out of 10 seats be made available to keep a semblance of social distancing norms in place?” the official asked.

Earlier, Cricket Australia head Kevin Roberts had said that they are prepared for every alternative situation, including holding the tournament behind closed doors.

Read: Five Underdog Teams Who Went On To Win An ICC Event In The 21st Century