Former Australia captain Allan Border is against the idea of playing this year's T20 World Cup behind closed doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The tournament is scheduled to be held down under from October 18 to November 15. But given the health crisis that the world is hurting from, a genuine threat of uncertainty is looming large over the showpiece event, especially with Australia under a six-month official lockdown. 

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However, if the situation improves gradually, even if not entirely, and the travelling ban is revoked with time, one idea backed by many is for the ICC to conduct the 16-team competition behind empty stadiums in agreement with its various member boards. 

Border, however, disagrees with that. "I just can't imagine playing at empty stadiums ... it defies belief," he told Fox Sports News. "Having teams, support staff and everyone else associated with the game wandering around the country, playing games of cricket, but you can't let people into the grounds. I just can't see it happening."

"It's either you play it and everyone just gets on with the job and we're past this pandemic. Or it just has to be cancelled and you try to fit it in somewhere else," added the 1987 ODI World Cup-winning skipper. 

Border echoed the sentiment expressed by Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell, who also dismissed the suggestion to bar fans from turning up for such a marquee tournament.  

"It's going to be hard for us to justify having a World Cup when we can't get people into the grounds," Maxwell told ABC Grandstand. "So I can't see it happening in the near future."

Since originating from the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year, the deadly virus has globally infected 1,900,000 people, claiming 110,800 lives. In Australia alone, there have been 6,400 positive cases reported, including 61 deaths. 

(Inputs from Reuters)