UAE, Oman to host T20 World Cup as cricket continues to move out of India

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  • ICC cited the effects of the second wave of Covid-19 in India for its decision

  • The tournament will now be held from October 17 to November 14 across three stadiums n the UAE and one in Oman

 

The International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday, June 29, that the Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 had been shifted to the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

The tournament was to be held in India, but ICC cited the effects of the second wave of Covid-19 in that country for its decision to shift the world cup for the shortest form of cricket to Oman and the UAE — both of which have cricket teams but are yet to achieve the coveted Test-playing status.

The tournament will now be held from October 17 to November 14 across the Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, and the Sharjah Stadium in the UAE, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India will remain the host of the event. The eight playing teams are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, and Papua New Guinea.

The ICC statement quoted Emirates Cricket BoardVice-President Khalid Al Zarooni as saying: “Having hosted a number of high-profile tournaments in recent months, our team is well-prepared and ready to mobilise to ensure the success of the T20 World Cup.”

Oman Cricket ChairmanPankaj Khimji was quoted by the reports as saying: “We shall leave no stone unturned to exceed the requirements of BCCI and ICC. Oman will certainly extend a very warm welcome to all the teams, officials and media in October.”

This is not the first time a BCCI event has been shifted to the GCC. The most recent example is the truncated 2021 edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

The tournament was suspended on May 4 after players and staff across several franchises were diagnosed with Covid-19, and is expected to finish the rest of the matches from September 19 in the UAE.

The 2020 edition of the IPL — a tournament whose ecosystem is valued roughly at $6.16 billion — was also played in the UAE.

The initial part of IPL 2014 was also played in the UAE, but because the Indian government said it might not be able to provide enough security for the teams within the country due to the general elections being held there.

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