Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday said it accepts the ICC’s decision to postpone this year’s T20 World Cup owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, reiterating that there was considerable risk in hosting 16 teams “in the current environment”.
The ICC on Monday postponed the T20 World Cup after deliberating on unspecified contingency plans for over two months. The world body is, however, yet to decide on whether India and Australia will swap the 2021 and 2022 editions between them, both of which will be held in the October-November window.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting sporting tournaments across the globe and cricket is not immune,” CA’s interim chief executive and chief executive of the ICC T20 World Cup 2020, Nick Hockley said in a statement.
“The complexities and risks around hosting a 16-team international event in October in the current environment ultimately proved sufficient for the ICC to postpone the event,” he added.
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The global event was supposed to be held from October 18 to November 15 in Australia but the CA, in May itself, had expressed its inability to host amid a second surge of COVID-19 cases in the state of Victoria.
“We accept the ICC’s decision to postpone the T20 World Cup in Australia. It was a decision made with the safety and wellbeing of fans, players, officials and staff in mind.”
“We are confident that with this decision, we will give ourselves the best chance to safely welcome fans into the outstanding venues across the country to enjoy watching the world’s best men’s cricketers compete in this major global event in either 2021 or 2022,” Hockley said.
Australia successfully hosted the women’s T20 World Cup in February-March this year and the country aims to do the same with the men’s event.
The @ICC has reached the decision to postpone the Men's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) July 20, 2020
“A lot of hard work has gone into hosting the tournament in Australia this year and I would like to thank everyone involved for their passion and commitment.
“The ICC women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year will forever be remembered as a groundbreaking moment in Australian sport, and I have no doubt the men’s edition will also be a spectacular event,” Hockley said.
In May, CA announced the much-anticipated six-month home summer schedule, which includes a full series against India.”Cricket Australia now looks forward to hosting a safe and successful summer of bilateral cricket,” Hockley said.
Decision on women’s ODI World Cup in two weeks: New Zealand Cricket chief
New Zealand Cricket chief Greg Barclay/ Twitter
New Zealand Cricket chairman Greg Barclay has said that a decision on the fate of the 2021 Women’s World Cup will be taken in the next two weeks.
Barclay’s comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday said the event, to be held in New Zealand from February 6 to March 7, was still on schedule despite the COVID-19 threat.
“The decision (about the ODI World Cup) will be made in the next two weeks,” Barclay told Radio New Zealand.
“…because if there is a need to postpone that event then obviously we need to know that sooner rather than later and likewise if it is to go ahead then we need to make a final decision so that we can throw all the resources necessary to run a first class world event in February.”
Though New Zealand is among the least affected nations by the pandemic, possible travel restrictions there and around the world at that time make the event a bigger logistical challenge.
“How do you get teams travelling around the world, they’ve got to hub through other countries and what are the implications of that?” Barclay wondered.
“Then getting them through the quarantine restrictions that may be in place and of course all of that comes with a cost and so there are budgetary implications heading into February (but) all of that is surmountable,” he added.