With a pandemic of bygone proportions no-balling and fouling all sport in the world, the International Cricket Council and its stakeholders from the major Test-playing nations are apparently looking at the T20 World Cup in Australia this October to turn things around.
The sport’s keepers and promoters shared their views and concerns at a call conference held on Thursday while it was decided by the ICCs 12 full member countries and three Associate members to commit to a working partnership during the ensuing month to take cricket forward.
“We are all watching the situation. All members are keen to move ahead and the Australian Chief Executive (Kevin Roberts) made a positive presentation of hosting the T20 World Cup”, said Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Mohan de Silva.
There has not been a T20 World Cup since 2016 when a star-studded West Indies team bagged the prize while international cricket across all five continents stand uprooted for the first time ever.
The fact that Australia has never hosted a T20 World Cup and have a domestic championship called the Big Bash second only to the IPL in India makes them determined to jealously guard the impending event for as long as possible until a final ruling is made. “Cricket Australia is working closely with the ICC, the Local Organising Committee and the Australian government so we have a comprehensive understanding of exactly what it will take to be able to play the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 in October in Australia as planned.
“We are also jointly exploring all other options in relation to staging the event and will take the right decisions at the right time so we can host a wonderful celebration of the sport and keep everyone involved safe and well,” said Roberts. Australia is also currently in lockdown with less than one hundred deaths related to coronavirus and its government hoping to waste no time in opening the country which depends a great deal on tourist dollars.
Sri Lanka has already lost out on a tour by South Africa in June this year but is banking on India having no qualms of touring the island towards the latter part of June which De Silva said will help replenish dwindling finances.
At Thursday’s meeting it was also decided to “collectively review” the disrupted Future Tours Programme (FTP) of all countries through to 2023 as well as make rulings at a later date on the status of the World Test Championships and the ICC Men’s Cricket Super World Cup League.
“I am grateful to my fellow CEOs for their clear commitment to a unified approach to steering cricket through this pandemic. We will work in partnership for the best outcomes for the sport in relation to both ICC events and bilateral cricket.
“We agreed on the importance of taking well informed, responsible decisions in relation to the resumption of international cricket,” ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said in a released statement.