NEW DELHI, June 28: After weeks of uncertainty, the T20 World Cup has been finally shifted to the United Arab Emirates from India.
It was officially announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday.
The T20 World Cup this year was scheduled to be held in India but was being shifted to the UAE owing to the health safety concerns posed by Covid pandemic, Ganguly said. “We have officially intimated the ICC that the T20 World Cup can be shifted to the United Arab Emirates. The details are being chalked out,” Ganguly said.
“The decision was taken keeping health safety concerns of all stakeholders in mind,” he added.
The BCCI will, however, remain the hosts of the showpiece.
Asked if October 17 has been finalised as the start date of the tournament, Ganguly said: “We will be able to finalise itinerary details in some days. October 17 start hasn’t yet been finalised.”
An ICC spokesperson also confirmed that the global body was yet to zero in on a final schedule but has started working out the arrangements for holding the tournament in the UAE.
The ICC, at the start of the month, had given BCCI a four-week window to decide and inform whether India could host the marquee event considering the COVID-19 situation in the country.
This was after the pandemic forced the postponement of IPL the second part of which is also scheduled to be held in the UAE in September-October.
India finding it difficult to host a 16-country tournament across nine cities with so many layers of health security concerns was anticipated for some time in view of the threat of the pandemic continuing. The ICC had already started its preparations and logistics for the tournament to be held in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
The qualifying round could be held in Muscat, which will give ideal time to the pitches in UAE to freshen up after 31 remaining games of IPL are held till October 15.
India was ravaged by the second wave in April-May that unfolded with over four lakh daily cases at the peak of the crisis.
“If the BCCI is unable to host an eight-team IPL in September, how could it have hosted World T20 within a month? Also now we have a new variant (Delta 3) and there is every possibility of a third wave in the country in October.
“The BCCI brass was always well aware that it won’t be practically feasible,” an ICC board member said.
Also, India is on the ‘Red List’ of countries like England and Australia and travelling could be an issue if the rules are not relaxed by then.
It is also understood that most of the member nations were comfortable playing the IPL in the UAE after multiple cases of bubble breach happened during the postponed edition in India.
Also the 2020 IPL in the UAE was a humongous success with a tight bio-bubble.
The Indian team, with its T20 players, will reach Dubai from Manchester on September 15 aboard a charter flight to play in the IPL.
It will be based in the country for close to two months till the second week of November when the T20 World Cup expected to end.
(Manas Dasgupta)