The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Tuesday that the men’s T20 World Cup might be shifted from India to the United Arab Emirates this year. The ICC also stated that a definitive decision on the host country for the October-November event will be made later this month, and that the BCCI will maintain hosting rights regardless of where the game is held.
“The ICC board has instructed that management focus its planning efforts for the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on the tournament being held in the UAE, with the potential of integrating another Middle Eastern location,” according to the statement.
“Later this month, a definitive choice on the host country will be made. The BCCI Board has affirmed that the tournament will be hosted by the BCCI regardless of where it is held “it was stated
The announcement came only two days after the BCCI stated that the lucrative Indian Premier League T20 franchise competition, which had been postponed with the arrival of a new COVID-19 wave in India, would be completed in the UAE in September and October.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that it will ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) for extra time to decide if India, the sport’s economic powerhouse and one of the top on-field countries, could still host the T20 World Cup.
The IPL, the world’s wealthiest cricket event, was suspended on May 4 after a number of players and club executives contracted the coronavirus despite being housed in bio-secure bubbles.
Because of the monsoon season, the BCCI announced that the remaining matches will be moved to the UAE, which hosted all of last year’s IPL.