The International Cricket Council has announced the postponement of the T20 World Cup due to the corona virus. The tournament was to be held in Australia in October-November.
The 2021 World Cup is scheduled to be held in India and 2022 in Australia, but it is likely that the next tournament will be hosted by Australia. No decision has been made yet.
The ICC said in a statement that it was "confirming" today that the T20 World Cup in Australia had been postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak.
The opening match of the World Cup was scheduled for October 18 and the final for November 15. But Cricket Australia informed the ICC in May that it would be almost impossible for such a large tournament to be held behind closed doors for 16 international teams with quarantine arrangements.
The ICC considered various issues for two months, after which it announced its decision on Monday. Chief Executive Manu Sohne said that the decision to postpone the World Cup was taken after reviewing all aspects. The commercial wing of the council will later decide whether to hold the next World Cup in Australia or India.
The council will decide on the next three World Cup tournaments so that cricket boards can better plan their dealings and offset the damage caused by the epidemic.
The last T20 World Cup was held in India in 2016, in which the West Indies became champions for the second time by defeating England in the final.
Indian media say that due to the absence of the World Cup, the Indian board has the opportunity to hold the Indian Premier League, which was postponed earlier this year, in the United Arab Emirates. It is not possible to have a tournament in India where 1.1 million cases of corona virus have been confirmed and 27,000 deaths have been reported.
If it is decided to hold the IPL, it will start in the first week of September and will continue till the second week of November. An Indian board official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told local news agency PTI that he would seek approval from the government.
