After the second wave of COVID-19 put a halt to the IPL 2021, questions were raised on whether India is feasible for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Although initially, BCCI was confident about hosting the event in India, the situation continued to get bleak.
In a virtual meeting, the ICC had granted BCCI permission till June 28 to decide on the fate of the T20 World Cup 2021. But now, reports say that they’ve internally intimated the ICC to shift the global event out of India.
In all likelihood, UAE is the preferred option because of IPL 2020’s success in the UAE. There is also a backup option in Oman with Muscat being the fourth venue apart from the three venues viz. Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.
We wouldn’t mind T20 World Cup being held in UAE and Oman – BCCI Official
According to reports, a senior BCCI Official made a statement regarding the discussions held in the meeting.
“Yes, the BCCI, during the ICC board meeting, has formally asked for a four-week window to take a final call but, internally, they have said that they would like to keep the hosting rights and wouldn’t mind the tournament being held in UAE and Oman,” he said.
He also mentioned that Muscat is in the running for hosting a few games in week one of the global event. The move to shift the venues to UAE also gives fans a lot of hope. This is considering the fact that the Abu Dhabi government is open to allowing 50% of the stadiums to be filled.
“If IPL finishes by October 10, then the UAE leg of World T20 can start off in November which would give three weeks’ time to the pitches to be spruced up for the global event. In the meanwhile, the first week can be held in Oman,” he said.
