ICC postpones decision on T20 World Cup 2020 till June 10

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has deferred its conference with all agenda items until 10th June 2020 over the issue of confidentiality.

The meeting was also set to make a decision pertaining to the future of the ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in Australia in October-November this year, but fate would now be decided in the next conference.

A number of Board members had raised their concerns over the issue pf confidentiality recently and felt it required immediate attention to ensure the sanctity and confidentiality of Board matters in line with the highest standards of governance.

“There was unanimous agreement to immediately initiate an independent investigation led by the ICC’s Ethics Officer and supported by global experts. The Board will be updated on this by the ICC CEO at its next meeting on 10 June 2020,” said an official statement.

The Board also requested the ICC management continue with their discussions with stakeholders in exploring various contingency options in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the COVID 19 virus.

As per sources, there are chances that the World Cup may be postponed till February next year or even 2022 due to the logistical challenge associated with hosting 15 teams amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the board meeting, ICC will reveal a clear plan related to the world cup.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed its will to host Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in the event that the World Cup is postponed.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opposed delaying the tournament for next year over fears that it may spoil plans for the next season of Pakistan Super League (PSL) as it falls into the same time window.