Amid Covid crisis, India may lose an opportunity to host T20 WC - Check what ICC has to say

Amid the second wave of covid crisis and speculation of the third wave, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to decide till June 28, 2021, whether would it host the 2021 T20 World Cup in India. 

The ICC Board met virtually on Tuesday, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah represented India. The T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in October-November this year. 

The BCCI has sought a month’s time to do a detailed assessment of the health situation in the country, which was unanimously agreed by the ICC board.  India has been left battered by a second wave of the raging pandemic, however, the cases in the recent past have been declining. 

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, speaking to news agency ANI, confirmed, “We have time till June 28 to go back to the ICC on hosting of the T20 World Cup.” 

T20 World Cup was earlier scheduled last year, due to covid fears it had been postponed for a year. If India is unable to host the event amid the current covid situation and the threat of the third wave, the tournament may likely be shifted to the United Arab Emirates or Oman’s Muscat as the back-up venue. 

Earlier last week, BCCI has also confirmed, the remaining matches of Indian Premier League 2021 will take place in UAE, as it had to suspend amid many players were detected covid positive.  

“The ICC Board has requested management focus its planning efforts for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on the event being staged in the UAE with the possibility of including another venue in the Middle East,” an ICC release said. 

“A final decision on the host country will be taken later this month. The Board also confirmed that the BCCI will remain the hosts of the event regardless of where the event is played.” 

“The BCCI is very keen on organising a global tournament in India. They don’t want to let it go. But if you can read between the lines it will be very difficult to hold it in India if there is a third wave at the end of September. While the cases are on decline but still India is reporting more than 100k cases per day,” an ICC board member said during a virtual meeting.