T20 World Cup in Australia postponed, IPL set to go ahead in UAE

The decision allows players to earn millions and gives CA more certainty around the summer as the Aussies prepare to head to the UK.

The men’s T20 World Cup has been postponed. Picture: Getty Images

The decision overnight to postpone September’s T20 World Cup means the IPL can now go ahead in the UAE, players are free to earn millions they missed when that tournament was cancelled and Cricket Australia finally has more certainty around the summer.

Australia is preparing for a series against England – comprised of three T20 and three ODI matches – in the first two weeks of September. Players involved in the IPL will then fly straight to the UAE before returning home for the summer.

Details of the quarantine demands are still being sorted with various governments, but the players are preparing for a unique period which begins with a chartered flight from Perth to England, a country which has suffered 45,000 COVID-19 deaths.

While a historic Test against Afghanistan was supposed to kick off the season in Perth on November 21 before a four Test series against India, it is widely expected the first match may be too difficult to co-ordinate because of the rigours of quarantine demands for just one match.

The summer fixture, while announced, has been waiting on some certainty about the T20 World Cup.

The ICC confirmed overnight that the tournament, which is one of its key revenue raisers, would be postponed but nobody in the game has believed it had any serious chance of going ahead for some months.

The head of the local organising committee, Nick Hockley had even left his position to take over as interim chief executive of Cricket Australia in June when former CEO Kevin Roberts was forced to leave the game.

Organising a World Cup with 16 countries competing and flying around the country in the middle of a pandemic has been considered too difficult for some months and the BCCI had been eyeing the window to schedule its private domestic competition which had been postponed from earlier in the year.

Cricket Australia is hoping it can host an event scheduled next year for India, pushing that country’s tournament back to 2022, so it does not have to wind up organising committees and refund tickets already sold but that is an ongoing negotiation.

Josh Hazlewood is set to be part of the squad that travels to England for three T20 and three ODI matches. Picture: Getty Images

Australia will play three T20 and three ODI matches in England but is still processing quarantine demands.

Josh Hazlewood said on Monday he did not think the need to quarantine would have too much effect on players.

“As long as we can train during that period, it’ll be OK. If it’s when we come back, that we can’t train during that two-week period — as fast bowlers, we’ll have built up loads and two weeks on the sidelines really hurts us heading into a summer of Test cricket,” he said.

“So that’s probably the key and if we can get training done while in quarantine it should be fine.”

Hockley, who is expected to remain as interim CEO through the summer, thanked those who had been working on the event.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting sporting tournaments across the globe and cricket is not immune,” Hockley said. “The complexities and risks around hosting a 16-team international event in October in the current environment ultimately proved sufficient for the ICC to postpone the event.

“A lot of hard work has gone into hosting the tournament in Australia this year and I would like to thank everyone involved for their passion and commitment. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year will forever be remembered as a groundbreaking moment in Australian sport, and I have no doubt the men’s edition will also be a spectacular event.

“We accept the ICC’s decision to postpone the T20 World Cup in Australia. It was a decision made with the safety and wellbeing of fans, players, officials and staff in mind.

“We are confident that with this decision, we will give ourselves the best chance to safely welcome fans into the outstanding venues across the country to enjoy watching the world’s best men’s cricketers compete in this major global event in either 2021 or 2022.

“Cricket Australia now looks forward to hosting a safe and successful summer of bilateral cricket.”