India head coach Ravi Shastri has advised cricket bodies to prioritise domestic and bilateral series before diving into world events. Cricket, like any other sport, has come to a grinding halt worldwide in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I wouldn't put too much emphasis on world events right now," Shastri told the Times of India on Friday.
Shastri's comments come even as a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the T20 World Cup 2020. Reports emerged on Friday that the International Cricket Council (ICC) may consider the option of shifting the mega event when the Board meets on May 28. The tournament is scheduled in Australia from October 18 to November 15.
Advertisement
"Stay at home, ensure domestic cricket comes back to normal, cricketers at all levels - international, first-class etc - all get back on the field. That's the most important bit. Second: Start with bilateral cricket," the former India all-rounder added.
Earlier, the ICC chief executives had agreed to "collectively review" the FTP until 2023 with a "view to rescheduling" as much cricket as possible affected by the COVID-19.
"If we (India) had to choose between hosting a World Cup and a bilateral tour, obviously, we'd settle for the bilateral.
"Instead of 15 teams flying in, we'd settle for one team flying in and playing an entire bilateral series at one or two grounds," Shastri added.
Advertisement
In April, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) indefinitely postponed the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), as the country to continue to reel under the lockdown.
"When cricket resumes, we could give the IPL a priority. The difference between an international tournament and the IPL is that the IPL can be played between one or two cities and the logistics will be easier to manage.
"The same thing with bilaterals - it'll be easier for us to tour one country and play there at specific grounds than 15-16 teams flying in during these times. The International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to look at this objectively," Shastri explained.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket has requested the BCCI to explore options as to how India's tour of Sri Lanka scheduled in July could go ahead.
As per a report published in 'The Island', "Sri Lanka Cricket has sent an e-mail to their counterparts at Board of Control for Cricket in India requesting the possibility of resuming bilateral cricket later in July."
India are slated to tour the island nation in mid-July for three ODIs and three T20 Internationals.
Virat Kohli & Co. are also scheduled to tour Australia for a T20 tri-series in October and a four-match Tests series in December. In between, there is the T20 World Cup.
