Reports | ICC planning to postpone T20 World Cup in Australia

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning on to push forward the ICC Men's T20 World Cup which was originally scheduled in October in Australia later this year. ICC is planning on it after some other leading stakeholders in the game have proposed that the tournament should be postponed for now to the International Cricket Council. A source said that the question being internally discussed was to postpone it but there was no status quo on until when it should be done. 

“The question being internally discussed was to postpone it but there was no status quo on ‘until when?’ Well, India is scheduled to tour Australia in December. Early next year, Australia have their Big Bash scheduled. March would not be an ideal time (with IPL to begin in April) because the broadcaster won’t agree to back-to-back T20 events. India is anyways hosting the 2021 T20 World Cup. So, the ideal choice has to be 2022,” add those in the know, reported The Times Of India.

While Australia has shut its own international borders to the world until mid-September. The decision on the T20 World Cup will get decided on votes when the member boards meet again in May, ahead of the annual board meeting in June. Another industry source said when a tournament gets cancelled, a Force Majeure comes into effect, which in totality calls for all stakeholders to once again come to the drawing board and renegotiate. 

“When a tournament gets cancelled, a Force Majeure comes into effect, which in totality calls for all stakeholders to once again come to the drawing board and renegotiate. Let’s take the example of Nike. The shoe and apparel giant has closed down all over the world. So have some of the other leading brands that are sponsors to some leading teams or partnering with the ICC. Moreover, the broadcaster has a lot at stake. All these aspects have to be considered,” the source added. 

However, when it comes to the IPL the BCCI along with its internal stakeholders who help run the domestic league, will remain in the best possible position to make the tournament happen when the COVID-19 comes under control anytime between now and October-November. So the same elements, however, do not necessarily apply to the Indian Premier League. A source said this is because IPL is the elephant in the room.

“Either way, one thing remains clear: The IPL takes precedence whenever the markets open. That’s not because the BCCI will force it. That’s because the IPL remains the elephant in the room,” it concluded.