ICC's official statement on conducting T20 World Cup this year
- IndiaGlitz, [Friday,April 17 2020]
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has led to the cancellation of practically every event - significant or otherwise - in the world, the ICC has been deliberating over the fate of the T20 World Cup that has been scheduled to take place from October 18 to November 15 in Australia.
The International Cricket Council has made an official statement regarding the tournament, mentioning that they are not in a hurry to make a formal decision about conducting the tournament yet and are exploring all options as part of its comprehensive contingency planning for all its events. We are continuing with our planning for ICC events as they are, but given the rapidly evolving situation as a prudent and responsible measure we are also undertaking a comprehensive contingency planning exercise, an ICC spokesperson reportedly stated. This includes exploring all options available to us based on a range of scenarios connected to the pandemic. We will continue to take advice from experts and authorities, including the Australian government and will take decisions at the appropriate time. We will utilise all the data and information available to us to ensure we can take well-informed, responsible decisions that are in the best interests of our sport, he further added, according to the report.
The pandemic had Australia sealing its borders and imposing travel ban in attempts to contain the spread of the virus and since the future over the outbreak remains uncertain, there have been speculations that the tournament might be postponed to next year or conducted within closed doors. Australian players, including Allan Border and Glenn Maxwell, have expressed their displeasure over conducting the tournament without spectators while some others, including Simon Katich and Alex Carey, are hoping for the matches to be postponed.