MUMBAI: The chances of the Indian Premier League slotting into the window world cricket has set aside for ICC T20 World Cup increased manifold on Tuesday, when, in an unexpected turn of events, Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Earl Eddings warned it is becoming “unrealistic” to expect the mega event to take place as planned this year.
Eddings said that the effect of the coronavirus pandemic was threatening to make it impractical to bring cricket teams from across the globe to Australia.
The tournament is scheduled to run from October 18 to November 15, and a ruling on whether it should go ahead is due to be taken by the International Cricket Council some time next month.
Eddings comments was followed up almost in lockstep with reports in India, citing ‘reliable’ sources, that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has zeroed on September 26 to November 8 as the tentative schedule for IPL 2020.
As per reports, the BCCI has spoken to all the franchises, media partners and other stakeholders of IPL and came up as September 26 to November 8 as the window to host the lucrative cricket league.
IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel had earlier said a September start is a possibility if the T20 World Cup in Australia and the Asia Cup do not go ahead, and that the mega event could be played behind closed doors.
“Yes, we are looking at those dates, but it all depends on the future of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup. Subject to that, we are planning [for games in September and October],” Patel had told Indian Express.
“Again, it depends on how the situation is in September-October. We have to go by the government directive. First we need the go-ahead from the government.”
Patel added that playing matches without a crowd would not be an issue.
He said: “You can’t play a World Cup in empty stadiums. But the IPL being a league, it can be staged behind closed doors. The official broadcaster is okay with that and so are the players because they want to play.”
