The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board meeting on Wednesday kept the fate of this year’s T20 World Cup hanging as they dragged the matter until at least next month. The tournament, which is scheduled to be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15, has come under threat due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board today agreed to continue exploring a number of contingency plans regarding the future of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 until next month whilst planning for delivery of the events in the scheduled window is ongoing,” the ICC said in a press release after the Board meeting.
The meeting saw the Board expressing the desire to continue to assess the COVID-19 situation, as a part of the governing body’s contingency planning process to explore various ways to stage the events by working in tandem with the stakeholders and the regional governments.
“The situation surrounding the global pandemic is evolving rapidly and we want to give ourselves the best possible opportunity to make the right decision for the whole sport. The health and well-being of everyone involved is our priority and other considerations fall out from that,” ICC Chief Execute Manu Sawhney said.
“We will only get one chance to make this decision and it needs to be the right one and as such we will continue to consult with our Members, broadcasters, partners, governments and players and to ensure that we make a well informed decision.”
The Board also extended the deadline for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to December 2020 for providing a solution to the ongoing tax issue.
Meanwhile, several media reports had stated that the BCCI was reportedly looking at the possibility to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League – suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic – from September 25 to November 1, considering that the T20 World Cup would be postponed.