‘Decision will be taken at appropriate time’ - ICC on hosting the 2020 T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is in no hurry to decide on the fate of the 2020 Men’s T20 World Cup later this year in Australia. The coronavirus pandemic has brought the cricket world to a standstill and already a number of tournaments, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), have been postponed. The T20 WC is scheduled to take place from October 18 to November 15.

There’s also a chance for the mega event to be postponed since it’s not known when things would get back to normalcy. The apex cricket board is also going through a ‘comprehensive contingency planning exercise’ and also wishes to stay open to every other option.

ICC taking advise from experts

“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. This includes exploring all options available to us based on a range of scenarios connected to the pandemic,” an ICC spokesperson was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

The ICC wants to stay informed with proper information from the Australian government. The World Cup is still six months away and the board are waiting for the right time to take a call on hosting the tournament.

“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,” the spokesperson added.

In the meantime, a few of the cricketers, both former and current, have had their opinions on the T20 World Cup. Retired skipper Allan Bolder and present all-rounder Glenn Maxwell reckon that the event can take place behind closed doors if the situation doesn’t improve over the time period.

On the other hand, Simon Katich and Alex Carey feel that delaying the WC remain to be an option. The coronavirus cases in Australia have gone over 6,500 with 65 deaths being recorded thus far. Globally, the ungodly virus has taken the lives of over 1,46,000.