Page 26 - Pakistan Link - July 2, 2021

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P26 – PAKISTAN LINK – JULY 2, 2021 COMMENTARY
T20 World Cup to Be Held from October 17
to November 14 in UAE and Oman

n By Nagraj Gollapudi CEO, said that the global body was
“incredibly disappointed” that the
day after the BCCI an- World Cup would not be staged in
nounced it would be host- India. “Our priority is to deliver the
A g the 2021 men’s T20 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 safe-
in
World Cup not in India but in the ly, in full and in its current window,”
UAE and Oman, the ICC on Tues-
day confirmed the venue shift.
The ICC said that the tournament That the World Cup was
was being shifted “given the con- certain to be moved to
sequences of the second wave of the UAE became clear
Covid-19” in India. As reported
last week by ESPNcricinfo, the 16- when the BCCI top brass
team World Cup will now be held landed in Dubai in May
between October 17 and Novem-
ber 14, and it will be co-hosted at to hold meetings with the
the three venues in the UAE - Abu Emirates Cricket Board as
Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah - along with
the Oman Cricket Academy in well as local government
Muscat. officials
This will be the first T20 World
Cup since 2016, when West Indies
beat England in the final at the Eden Allardice said in a media release.
Gardens in Kolkata. “The decision gives us the certainty
In April, the BCCI had short- we need to stage the event in a coun-
listed nine venues in India for the try that is a proven international host
16-team tournament with the world’s of multi-team events in a bio-secure
largest cricket stadium in Ahmed- That the World Cup was certain ensured that the pitches at the main ia, Oman, Papua New Guinea - will environment.”
abad slotted to host the final on No- to be moved to the UAE became clear grounds in the UAE, which will host then progress to the Super 12s, join- BCCI president Sourav Gan-
vember 14. However, strong doubts when the BCCI top brass landed in the Super 12 stage, will get enough ing the top eight ranked T20I teams. guly said that, as the hosting board,
on India hosting the marquee event Dubai in May to hold meetings with resting time between the two tourna- The Super 12s phase, comprising 30 it was looking to create a “spectacle”.
emerged as soon as the BCCI was the Emirates Cricket Board as well ments. matches, is scheduled in the UAE “We would have been happier host-
forced to suspend the IPL midway as local government officials. Sub- On Tuesday the ICC confirmed and set to start from October 24. The ing it in India but considering the
through, after the tournament bub- sequently, the BCCI announced the that Round 1 comprising eight Super 12s, where teams will be split uncertainty due to the Covid 19 situ-
ble was breached and several players second half of the IPL would also be teams, which will play 12 matches, across two groups of six each, will be ation and the importance of a world
and support staff from four fran- held in the UAE. ESPNcricinfo has will be split across two groups of four played at three venues in the UAE - championship, the BCCI will now
chises were tested positive. The ICC learned that the IPL will begin on each. The two groups will be split be- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. This continue to host this tournament in
had already nominated the UAE as September 19, with the final likely on tween one of the venues in the UAE will be followed by three playoff UAE and Oman. The BCCI is look-
the back-up venue for the T20 World October 14. and Oman. Four team from this lot games - the two semi-finals and the ing forward to creating a spectacle.”
Cup as early as last year, when it had Although the World Cup will of eight - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ire- final. (Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor
allotted the tournament to India. start three days later, the ICC has land, Netherlands, Scotland, Namib- Geoff Allardice, ICC’s acting at ESPNcricinfo. – ESPNcricinfo)

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