NEW DELHI: This year’s Twenty20 World Cup — originally scheduled in India — will be staged from October 17 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, as India struggles to curb a surge in coronavirus infections.
The BCCI will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held across four venues – Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.
“The first round of the tournament, comprising the eight qualifying teams, will now be split between Oman and UAE,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement issued (today) Tuesday.
“Four of these teams will then progress to the Super 12s round where they’ll join the eight automatic qualifiers,” it added. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman and Papua New Guinea will vie to grab the four spots and join the top eight teams in the Supers 12s stage.
“Whilst we are incredibly disappointed not to be hosting the event in India, the decision gives us the certainty we need to stage the event in a country that is a proven international host of multi-team events in a bio-secure environment,” said ICC acting CEO Geoff Allardice.
The UAE hosted the entire 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League and will also be the venue for the final phase of this year’s IPL which was suspended last month due to the COVID-19 crisis in India.
India’s BCCI cricket board had said on Monday that the 16-team tournament would be shifted to the UAE. Despite the venue switch, the BCCI will remain the official host for the World Cup, which will culminate on Nov. 14.
