There's no certainty that cricket will resume in India anytime soon even though the country has eased lockdown measures in its fight against coronavirus pandemic. But there is growing optimism that the very popular Indian Premier League (IPL) could still be staged in 2020.
That's bad news for T20 World Cup, for the simple that there will be a limited window to accommodate both the tournaments. There is speculation though that the 13th edition of IPL, which was suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19, might be held in October-November if the T20 World Cup in Australia is postponed.
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Former Australia captain Ian Chappell, sharing his thoughts on the possibility of BCCI's cash-cow replacing ICC's 16-country tournament, said that "The first thing you know is that" the Indian cricket board will win. Earlier, the 76-year-old had said that Australian cricketers are obliged to give priority to the country's domestic competitions over the cash-rich IPL.
"They'll get their way if they want to play in October. At this point it appears to me that the chances of the T20 World Cup going ahead are somewhere between Buckley’s and none.
"With so many countries, I just think it would be logistically way too difficult, but that's purely a cricketer talking, not a medical person or someone with experience running a tournament like that," Chappell told Wide World of Sports.
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His comments come days ahead of all-important ICC meeting where the fate of the World Cup could be decided. But the Indian cricket board has so far withstood the temptation.
"Why should the BCCI suggest postponing the Twenty20 World Cup?" BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters.
"We'll discuss it in the meeting and whatever is appropriate, (the ICC) will take a call.
"If the Australia government announces that the tournament will happen and Cricket Australia is confident they can handle it, it will be their call. BCCI would not suggest anything," he added.
But BCCI CEO Rahul Johri had sounded positive when he said that "We will be guided by the government guidelines. Our advisory says: IPL is suspended till further notice. We are engaging with various agencies. After the current phase of lockdown ends, there is the monsoon. Cricketing activities can start only after the monsoon. By then, hopefully, things will improve."
