The International Cricket Council are likely to announce the postponement or cancellation of the 2020 T20 World Cup very soon.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
As things stood before COVID-19 changed the world, there were already critics of staging two short format world cups in successive years.
The tournaments would have been just twelve months apart, and there were discussions about sustaining an appetite for the international showpiece.
Now it seems a February – March, ICC T20 World Cup in Australia is on the table.
The BCCI might be swayed if the World Cup gives up its 2020 slot in favour of a rejigged IPL, perhaps played at a neutral venue.
There is also a possibility that India might be stripped of the 2021 event as a result of the BCCI’s failure to secure a tax exemption from their government for the event.
The BCCI had been given a deadline of 18 May to establish an agreement with India’s tax authorities, with the ICC entitled to rescind the hosting rights if their demands were not met.
The Indian cricket authorities sought an extension but that request was denied.
Supposing this issue is resolved there is a good chance the winners of the next T20 World Cup would enjoy a reign of just nine months before having to defend the title.
The ICC is undoubtedly keen to use T20 cricket as the means to spread the game, but even they might have to consider two global showpieces in a single calendar year as excessive.
The game’s global body do like to plan ahead, but in this case, they need to be fluid in working out how cricket resumes in order to ensure the game is not damaged by poorly thought out strategy.
