Cricket Australia tells ICC it would like to host 2021 edition of T20 WC: report

Melbourne, May 29:  Cricket Australia on being asked about their preference if the 2020 edition of the T20 World Cup doesn't go ahead, has said that it would want to hold the 2021 edition rather than getting hosting rights in 2022. The 2021 edition of the tournament is currently for India to host.

According to a report in The Australian, a letter from Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings was sent to ICC's Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee on Thursday calling for the tournament to be shifted because of issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter was written in response to International Cricket Council asking Cricket Australia which options were preferable if the board is not able to host the tournament this year.

Eddings has told ICC that it wants to host the event in late 2021 when India is scheduled to host the T20 World Cup and does not want the hosting rights for this year's tournament to be shifted all the way back to 2022.

The ICC Board met via teleconference on Thursday with all agenda items deferred until June 10 following a discussion, led by Chairman Shashank Manohar, around the issue of confidentiality. At the board meeting, ICC was expected to finally decide on the fate of the 2020 T20 World Cup slated to be held from October 18 to November 15.

However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the possibility of hosting the tournament currently looks bleak.

Earlier, the IANS had reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not in the mood to exchange the hosting rights with Cricket Australia.

"As for one of the ideas that BCCI may hand the hosting rights of the 2021 edition to CA and us hosting the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup, I honestly don't see that happening. If the T20 World Cup doesn't happen in Australia in 2020 then it will in 2022 is what we feel," A BCCI official had explained.

If this year's T20 World Cup is postponed, which looks like the obvious solution in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it will open a window for the BCCI to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League which currently stands postponed. In fact, it is believed that the roadmap for the same is already in planning.