Crucial ICC Board meet on Tuesday

The International Cricket Council Board is set to discuss on Tuesday the venue and finalise the dates for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in October-November.

UAE on stand-by

Although the tournament was allotted to India, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in India has meant the ICC will push the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to move the tournament to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the designated alternative venue for the tournament.

The BCCI at a special general meeting on Saturday decided to seek a month-long extension from ICC to finalise the venue. Interestingly, the meeting resolved to reschedule the remaining Indian Premier League in the UAE just before the T20 World Cup.

While the BCCI will try and justify the deadline extension with the COVID-19 cases on a decline and the tax exemption issue still pending with the government, it will be interesting to see whether the ICC agrees to wait till its annual conference in July before making the call.

A BCCI contingent, led by secretary Jay Shah, has reached Dubai to discuss with the ICC and UAE officials the issues regarding the T20 World Cup and the IPL.

WTC to take a break?

Interestingly, the ICC Board is also likely to discuss the possibility of postponing the second cycle of the World Test Championship by two years. India is set to face New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final in Southampton from June 18.

However, with the international calendar having become way too tight due to the pandemic and the majority of members preferring to prioritise T20 leagues, the ICC may be forced to take a two-year break, until the ODI World Cup in 2023, before initiating the second WTC cycle.

Since the ODI Super League is in limbo due to COVID-19 and three limited-overs world events to be held in the next two years, the ICC Board is likely to adhere to the members’ demands to push the next WTC cycle back by two years.