Asia Cup T20 – 2nd String side by India: The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah is in fix nowadays. Shah is also leading the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and is being pressed hard for a solution to India’s participation in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in June. The tournament was already postponed for a year due to Covid-19 and now may be in a further trouble.
Hard pressed due to other commitments, India is likely to send full B squad to play in the Asia Cup T20 this year.
Asia Cup T20: Why BCCI will have to send 2nd string side?
India has already qualified for the ICC World Test Championship finals against New Zealand. Right after IPL 2021, India will travel to UK to play in the WTC Finals which is scheduled for 18th June to 22nd June in London.
According to the sources, BCCI is planning to ask the players to stay put in London itself for the Test Series against England after WTC. Reason, if they comeback team will again have to go through 14 day isolation ahead of the test series as per the local protocols.
The team management feels it will be unnecessary for the team to comeback to India and rather they can stay in London and acclimatize themselves for the 5 match test series.
What this means for Asia Cup? Asia Cup T20 for now is scheduled for 3rd & 4th Week of June. As India will be busy with WTC Finals, Indian test players can’t play in Asia Cup T20.
If ACC decides to push Asia Cup for July – still the players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya will not comeback as they will have to prepare themselves for the test series against England.
So in every scenario, BCCI will have to send 2nd string team for Asia Cup T20 this year.
ICC World Test Championships likely to be shifted to Southampton from Lords
Rod Bransgrove, the county’s chairman, believes that the Ageas Bowl’s bio-bubble is unrivalled following the experience with England this summer.
According to a report by DailyMail in January, switching the location would lessen the COVID-19 risk for the final. The on-site hotel at the Ageas Bowl is still acting as a location for key workers and some other contractors whose work requires a bio-secure environment.
“I understand that a decision is imminent,’ Bransgrove told DailyMail. ‘It’s difficult to imagine that any ground other than Lord’s would be appointed for such a prestigious event, but if there is still some concern about bio-security and related issues then we’ll put our best foot forward and we’ll do everything we can to stage it.