BCCI confirms passage of 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE

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Board chairman Ganguly says the pandemic situation and the possibility of a third wave and new variants prompted the movement

BCCI has communicated to its member associations that this year’s T20 World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates, as ESPNcricinfo reported last week. They will, however, retain the hosting rights for the 16-team event scheduled to start on October 17, two days after the IPL final ends, also in the United Arab Emirates.
In an email to members, viewed by ESPNcricinfo, board chairman Sourav Ganguly said the decision was made “after several rounds of internal discussions.” The ICC is expected to make an official announcement in due course.

“It was not an easy decision and we thought about it for months, constantly keeping an eye on the Covid-19 situation,” Ganguly wrote. However, with the second wave causing such devastation, the decision ultimately came down to the safety and well-being of players and organizers. Although vaccination in the country is proceeding at breakneck speed, there is reports of a third wave and different variations that we cannot ignore. “

While the schedules are being finalized, it is understood that the first round of the T20 World Cup will be split into two groups and will be played in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Eight teams (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea) will face off in the first round in 12 matches, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super 12, where they will join the top eight teams ranked T20I.

The Super 12 phase will begin on October 24, with teams split into two groups of six each. These matches will be played in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. This will be followed by three playoff games – the two semi-finals and the final on November 14.

The T20 World Cup, last held in 2016 in India, was originally scheduled to take place in Australia last year. With the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the world cricket calendar, however, the ICC postponed the tournament, deciding that India would host it in 2021, with Australia hosting the 2022 edition.

However, the grim pandemic situation in India, which forced the abrupt end of the IPL mid-term in May, has cast doubts on the feasibility of BCCI to host a global event, where travel between cities has increased. made players vulnerable to the spread of the virus.

BCCI had initially shortlisted nine venues for the T20 World Cup, but an ICC team, supposed to carry out an inspection, had to cancel its visit in April. In June, the ICC granted the board a one-month extension to make a final announcement of their readiness.

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