Sachin Tendulkar Urges The ICC To Figure Out An Alternative Window For The Test Championship

The onslaught of the global pandemic coronavirus [COVID-19] has put the entire world under a lockdown. And, as a result, everything including the economy is in complete shamble.

The same can be said about cricket and its Future Tour Program [FTP]. The International Cricket Council [ICC] recently held a meeting via video conference where it acknowledged the fact that the FTP which also includes the first cycle of the ICC Test Championship.

The apex body had acknowledged that with a plethora of series getting canceled, the final of the Test Championship, which was originally scheduled to take place in June 2021, could well be postponed for a few months.

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Sachin Tendulkar says that ICC can take a leaf out of IOC as far as scheduling of Test Championship is concerned

Commenting on the issue, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has said that a leaf can be taken out of International Olympic Association’s [IOC] book in how they shifted the 2020 Olympics to 2021 but still decided to name it Tokyo 2020. Sachin urged the ICC to figure out an alternative window for the Test Championship.

“I think so (need permutations and combinations to be worked out). With regards to the World Test Championship, if you see, the Olympics also has been postponed but it will still be called 2020 Olympics even though it will be now held in 2021. They are still calling it 2020 Olympics and in that way, we need to figure out a window where you know all these games which would have ideally happened at this time, how can we accommodate them in the future and yet continue with this championship,” Sachin Tendulkar told IANS.

Sachin Tendulkar added that since the tours have got canceled, the ICC would be better served if they can extend the time limit by a few months.

“To start afresh would be a big thing. And if you have started something, it needs to be completed in the best and fairest manner where we are able to accommodate all the remaining matches and give everyone a fair chance. We could extend the time limit a bit because these tours also aren’t cancelled totally, they have been postponed. So, along with the tours, the championship also gets postponed,” he explained.

The final of the Test Championship was supposed to take place at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s in June 2021 but with a whole host of series getting called-off and a few more set to follow, the possibility of staging it at the originally scheduled time look well nigh impossible.

Also Read: ICC Agree On FTP Overhaul; World Test Championship Cycle Set To Be Affected