BCCI was eagerly waiting for the ICC to make a formal declaration of postponing the T20 World Cup to schedule the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Mumbai: BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah. (Photo: IANS)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is hoping that the announcement of ICC T20 World Cup’s postponement will be made on Monday when the International Cricket Council (ICC) board meets virtually, reports PTI.
Earlier, it was reported that the BCCI was eagerly waiting for the ICC to make a formal declaration of postponing the T20 World Cup to schedule the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“The first step was postponement of Asia Cup, which has happened. We can only start to move ahead with our plans after the ICC announces the postponement. They have been sitting on the decision even after Cricket Australia said that they are not too keen on hosting the event,” a BCCI Apex Council member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
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The IPL 2020, which was scheduled to be played from March 29 this year, was earlier postponed to April 15 before it was suspended indefinitely due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a report by Indian Express, the BCCI decided in its Apex Council meeting earlier thies week to stage the IPL in United Arab Emirates during the October-November window if the Indian government gives clearance and the ICC reschedules the T20 World Cup, which was originally dated to take place in Australia from October 18 to November 15.
Reportedly, after the international governing body postpones the multinational event, the BCCI will approach the Indian government to seek permission to host the IPL in the country.
However, given the pandemic situation in the country – where the COVID-19 curve looks far from flattening and is, instead, witnessing a sharp spike due to the record-breaking number of new cases every day – the government is unlikely to allow a mass frenzy tournament like the IPL.
The BCCI – the world’s richest cricket body – will then shift the cash-rich T20 tournament to the UAE which is the only Asian country to have hosted the competition before.
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