The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to go ahead with the planning of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 irrespective of ICC’s decision on the fate of the T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in Australia this year. IPL 2020 currently stands postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic but the Indian board has not given up on the idea of staging the tournament later this year.
BCCI is ‘fed up’ with the delay from ICC over its final call on the T20 World Cup. The ICC has not been able to deliver a final verdict on the fate of the showpiece event in their last couple of meetings which has prompted BCCI to start planning for the year ahead and be prepared for cricket to return in the future when the situation is safe for the sport to resume.
The BCCI is looking at a tentative window later this year for IPL 2020 with games likely to be played behind closed doors. There have been proposals from countries like UAE and Sri Lanka which might be considered by the BCCI if the situation doesn’t improve in India.
“The year started on a horrible note and there’s been no relief on any front. But as time goes by, we need to take things head-on and ensure that we remain prepared for any eventuality. Cricket is no different. It is time for the BCCI to start planning for the year ahead,” BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal was quoted as saying.
Dhumal further stated that any announcement regarding the future of the T20 World Cup is not in BCCI’s hands and indicated that the international governing body’s decision will not affect BCCI’s plans. As per TOI’s report, BCCI believes a lot of time has already been wasted due to the dealy by ICC in its announcements.
“Those announcements and outcomes are not in our hands. The T20 World Cup, for instance, is being postponed so let the announcement come when it has to,” Dhumal said.
