International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket Australia (CA) will be discussing the prospects of hosting the T20 World Cup down under as planned in October or move towards rearrangement via a teleconference on Friday (May 8).
The showpiece event is uncertain at this stage because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a six-month lockdown imposed by the Australian government in wake of the health crisis.
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The last time CA spoke on the subject was at the Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) meeting of the ICC on April 23.
The board had said that it is "working closely" with the ICC, the local organising committee and the government of Australia to have a "comprehensive understanding of what exactly it will take" to play the tournament as scheduled.
"We are also jointly exploring all other options in relation to staging the event and will take the right decisions at the right time," CA chief executive Kevin Roberts was quoted as saying at the time.
No final decision is expected to be taken on the matter on May 8 as well, when CA is likely to come out expressing similar sentiments from the teleconference with ICC.
"Expect a holding statement. Nothing more, for now. The ICC Board meetings are scheduled soon. There’s a likelihood of a new chairman coming on board. Things may move further only once that happens," a source close to the development told TOI.
The travelling ban is due to end in September, extremely close to the T20 World Cup, due to be played in Australia from October 18 till November 15. In such a scenario, the organisers will be left with almost no time to get things in order.
"That’ll be a gargantuan task," said another source to TOI. "And what’s the guarantee that COVID is going to so thoroughly relent by then that crowds will be allowed. So, chances are, playing the tournament to empty stands."
"For something like that, to fly in 16 teams from across the world, flying in other working hands including match-officials, arranging hospitality, booking domestic travel for the scheduled month – all of it is going to be a logistical nightmare."
Three possible scenarios are at play, as of now:-
(A) CA agrees to host the T20 World Cup, subject to approval of other member boards and the tournament is played at lesser venues, to empty stands
(B) The tournament is postponed for this year with Australia hosting the 2021 edition during the same window and India hosting theirs the following year (2022)
(C) Australia hosting the postponed tournament in 2022
As per the FTP, there is no major ICC event scheduled for 2022.
(Inputs from TOI)
