Cricket Chiefs Are Planning For The T20 World Cup To Go Ahead

For cricket-starved fans, desperate for any content of the game they adore, there was finally some bat and ball to watch.

It might not have been on their radar previously, but Vanuatu – a fledgling cricket nation in the South Pacific – hosted men’s and women’s club championship matches on Saturday, a rarity amid an almost worldwide shutdown of sports during the coronavirus pandemic.

Testament to the hunger of fans worldwide, there were 350,000 views on social media of the live streamed matches.

Elite international cricket – a somewhat controversial tier restricted to the top 12 teams in the world – has not been played since March 13 when Australia and New Zealand played a 50-over contest behind closed doors at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Pakistan Super League was postponed one week later and there has been almost no cricket worldwide ever since. Even the Indian Premier League (IPL) – cricket’s most popular and richest domestic competition – has been postponed with organizers scrambling to reschedule the multi-billion dollar tournament later in the year.

Like almost everything else in everyday life, cricket has been severely affected with nobody certain when normality will resume. The English cricket season – which runs from April-September – has been postponed until July 1. Even that tentative date seems optimistic with the U.K. particularly hard hit by the coronavirus crisis.

There is a realistic possibility that the English season could be cancelled entirely, which would reportedly be a revenue loss of about 300 million pounds ($370 million).

National governing bodies have been hit differently – all will be affected to varying degrees – but there will be a significant financial hit if the T20 World Cup scheduled for October-November in Australia is cancelled.  

Right now – even though things can change quickly – the International Cricket Council (ICC) is still planning for Twenty20’s showpiece tournament to go ahead.

“We will work in partnership for the best outcomes for the sport in relation to both ICC events and bilateral cricket,” ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said after a meeting with chief executives of the 12 full member nations late last week.

“We agreed on the importance of taking well informed, responsible decisions in relation to the resumption of international cricket.

“The complexities involved in being able to stage ICC global events are extensive to ensure we protect the health and safety of everyone involved and they will be carefully considered before any decisions are arrived at in the best interests of the game.”

A decision is not expected until July or August with cricket’s heavy hitters understandably waiting amid the hefty financial stakes. The feeling in Australia, however, is not particularly optimistic.

The Australian government has enforced strict measures to curb the disease’s spread, including tough travel restrictions which are tentatively in place for six months. They have had the desired effect with cases slowing in recent weeks leading to a belief a staggered easing of the measures will ensue.

However, easing travel restrictions – particularly international – is likely a long way off ensuring the next Australian cricket season, which traditionally starts in late September, is under threat.

The prevailing sentiment in Australia is that local leagues – namely Australian rules football and rugby league – will resume in June or July albeit possibly confined to playing matches in hubs and without crowds.

The logistical nightmare of hosting an international tournament in the current climate amid travel restrictions has many in Australia believing the T20 World Cup won’t go ahead.

Despite still being committed to the tournament, the ICC admits it is no certainty. “The more teams, venues and cities involved in an event, the greater the risk which has to be ­assessed and managed,” ICC medical committee chair Peter Harcourt said.

“Our next step is to create a road map for the resumption of international cricket which will include a criteria for decision making and a checklist for what needs to happen. This will consider everything from player preparation to government restrictions and advisories and bio-bubbles.”

To go ahead, the T20 World Cup will likely need special travel exemptions and Cricket Australia has engaged with the Australian government on the issue.

As we are seeing across the world, there is much incentive for sports to re-start with so much on the line financially. The T20 World Cup, however, is perhaps in a more precarious situation with India’s governing body possibly eyeing the October-November window to ensure the IPL is not cancelled.

The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India’s priority is most likely with its money spinner, which is believed to generate $11 million for the Indian economy.

The mighty BCCI is all-powerful in cricket and hard to sway. With another T20 World Cup scheduled next year in India – which surely won’t be budged – the first ever Australian edition of the tournament is looking decidedly shaky.

There will be a lot of politicking over the coming months to dominate the headlines during these barren times for cricket.  

The return of elite cricket is a way off, but don’t despair.

The Taipei T10 Cricket League is on until May 17.