The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill and almost all major sporting events across the globe have been suspended for an indefinite period, however, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is still indecisive over the fate of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2020, which was originally scheduled to take place in Australia between October and November this year.
The virus, which first emerged in Wuhan, China, near the end of 2019, is rapidly spreading around the globe. So far 3.6 million people have been infected and over 254,000 have died. In Australia, where the cricket event is scheduled to take place, the virus has infected nearly 7,000 people, out of which 97 have lost their lives.
In the absence of a specific treatment or preventive vaccine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that social distancing must be adopted to curtail the spread of the virus until the medical experts come up with a cure for COVID-19.
Last month, the ICC had convened a chief executives’ meeting, wherein all upcoming ICC events were discussed, including the Men’s T20 World Cup 2020. According to a press statement, the ICC had been working closely with the Australian authorities to understand whether it was possible for the global tournament to be held in Australia in these difficult times.
However, recently, a number of international players and cricket associations have joined the chorus against the mega event. They have said that holding the event in October would be impractical since a gathering of people at this scale would worsen the situation.
However, others have supported the ICC’s determination to hold the event as per the schedule. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani was recently quoted by the media as saying that if the event gets disrupted, then the financial fallout would be very big and all stakeholders would feel the heat. Currently, the cricket board is preparing for all scenarios.
Pakistan’s cricketers have also expressed concerns over the event. While some believe that the event should be postponed until a time when the virus is no longer a grave threat, others suggest that holding it behind closed doors would be viable despite the fact that it would be dry and colourless.
It is about time that the ICC makes a final decision on this matter because its indecisiveness is not only leading to uncertainty among players but is also hindering a coordinated global effort against the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision is between keeping the game going and protecting the lives of the players. The world expects the cricketing body to make a wise decision.