New Delhi: With Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Earl Eddings stating that hosting the T20 World Cup at the end of the year looks ‘unrealistic amid the coronavirus pandemic, it has also put the three-match T20I series between India and Australia scheduled to be played on October 11, 14 and 17 under the scanner. With an eye on the IPL, the BCCI is optimistic that a rescheduling of the T20 series won’t be an issue.
Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official said on Tuesday that if the T20 World Cup is indeed scrapped, the board will surely look to use that window to host the Indian Premier League and the three-match series against Australia can be planned in a way that it comes either prior to the Test series against the Aussies or after the ODIs.
“If the T20 World Cup is scrapped, as it increasingly looks as if it will, then travelling to Australia in October would not be practical and we can visit them post the IPL, if the IPL season indeed happens during that period.
“If the IPL was not to take place then it would impact the FTP as far as India is concerned as the BCCI will have to ensure revenues to ensure that the domestic players earn money this year. This is only the scenario pertaining to India. The other boards also have their issues. The indecision at the ICC is costing the ICC members at the moment,” he pointed.
Interestingly, while the ICC has time and again spoken about planning to hold the showpiece event as per schedule, CA Chairman Eddings once again on Tuesday pointed that the tournament looks highly unlikely to take place in the current scenario.
“While it hasn’t been formally called off this year, or postponed, trying to get sixteen countries into Australia in the current world, where most countries are still going through COVID spiking, I think it is unrealistic, or it’s going to be very, very difficult,” said Eddings on Tuesday in a virtual press conference. “The ICC are having meetings as we speak, it’s a bit of a movable feast at the moment.”
As for the BCCI, they have made it clear that they will look to host the IPL if the T20 World Cup gets postponed. In fact, the only series they have confirmed that they are looking to play is the four-match Test series against Australia that gets underway on December 3 at The Gabba in Brisbane and the ODIs that follow.
Considering the quarantine rules in place at present due to the coronavirus pandemic, it would only make sense to have India fly into Australia once, play the Tests, ODIs and T20Is and then return rather than making multiple visits. In fact, the BCCI has also said that all decisions with regards to the movement of players will be taken in consultation with the government.
BY BAIDURJO BHOSE
