Considering the grim COVID-19 situation in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to move the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 to UAE.
At the start of June, ICC had given BCCI a four-week window to decide and inform whether they could host the global tournament amid the healthy safety concerns posed by COVID-19.
Confirming the development, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Monday (June 28) said "safety of players and other stakeholders" is of "paramount importance" and that’s why the call was made to shift the T20 World Cup to UAE.
"We wanted to apprise you that we have discussed this issue with ICC and have had several rounds of discussions internally," Ganguly said in a letter to all members of the BCCI, as quoted by ANI.
"After much deliberation, it has been decided that safety of players and other stakeholders is of paramount importance and keeping that in mind, it is best that we shift the ICC Men's T20 World Cup to the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
"It was not an easy decision and we mulled over it for months, constantly keeping an eye on the COVID situation all along. However, with the second wave causing such devastation, the decision ultimately boiled down to the safety and well-being of the players and organizers.
"Although vaccination in the country is going at breakneck speed, there are reports of a third wave and different variants, which we just cannot ignore. There is nothing more that we could have wanted than to host this prestigious tournament in India, but it was not to be," he added.
After its board meeting on June 1, ICC had stated that the BCCI will retain their hosting rights irrespective of where the event is played.
Ganguly also confirmed that the BCCI remains the host for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and with the board's prior experience of organizing IPL in UAE, he is confident of conducting the marquee event smoothly.
"On the brighter side, the BCCI remains the host for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and with its prior experience in hosting IPL in UAE, we can say with certainty that it will be hosted smoothly, and the BCCI will leave no stone unturned to make it an unprecedented success," said Ganguly.
"We thank you for your continued support and we hope that you will give your unflinching support on this issue as well, as you have done in the past," he further remarked.
It is pertinent to mention here that the remaining 31 games of IPL 2021 will also be held in UAE. The second phase of IPL 14 will reportedly kick-off from September 19 with the final to be played on October 15.
(With ANI inputs)
