The International Cricket Council, ICC, has denied reports that it would be postponing the T20 World Cup scheduled to hold in Australia this year to 2022.
The rumour was started by the media in India who said that ICC members have agreed that the event should be pushed to 2022 as a result of the pandemic.
The ICC would have a meeting on Thursday where they would discuss, among other things, the way forward for the world cup, which starts on the 18th of October. Although they said that plans for the event were still underway. It would take place in different stadiums on the continent. They would also discuss the pandemic and its effect on future events.
Speaking with Reuters, a spokesman for the council said, “The ICC has not taken a decision to postpone the T20 World Cup and preparations are ongoing for the event in Australia this year as per plan.
This is on the agenda for the ICC Board meeting tomorrow and a decision will be taken in due course.” A spokeswoman for Cricket Australia also stated that she was not aware of any decision to postpone the event.
Travel restrictions are still in place, meaning it could be difficult for players to fly into the country. Many nations are also yet to reopen their borders, meaning there would be no chance of travelling out.
The event is still a few months away so it is possible things could change before then. Australia has been of the few countries to effectively confront the virus, limiting the spread and rate of contact.
The reason for the rumour being spread in India may be because of their interest if it was to be postponed. The postponement of the World Cup would mean that the India Cricket Board (BCCI) would get a chance to host the India Premier League, which was supposed to hold back in March but was suspended as a result of the pandemic. If the world cup goes on as planned, countries would not be allowed to hold cricket events. India would host the 2021 edition of the World Cup.
