MUSCAT: Oman will co-host the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup 2021 after original hosts India shifted the event to the United Arab Emirates and Oman over Covid-19 cases.
Talking to Oman Observer on Monday, Oman Cricket Chairman Pankaj Khimji said the Oman cricket governing body is awaiting the International Cricket Council (ICC) notification on the schedule of the matches in Oman.
“We are awaiting the notification from the ICC regarding the matches to be hosted by the Sultanate,” Pankaj said.
Amerat Stadium is the top facility as far as cricket is concerned in Oman and had hosted several ICC matches and the venue recently was approved as a Test venue also.
“Our main ground is Amerat Stadium. As regard to upgrading the stadium, we might need to improve the lighting. Most of the other elements are maintained well and we remain positive and confident to host the World Cup matches,” he said.
AMERAT TO HOST PRELIMINARY MATCHES
Later, according to reports in Indian media, BCCI Chairman Sourav Ganguly said the preliminary qualifiers will be held in Oman while the main group matches will be played in the UAE.
Ganguly added that the ICC had been informed about the decision and as it stands the tournament will now be held across four cities – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Muscat – between October 17 and November 14.
The Round 1, looks now set to be hosted by Oman with 12 matches.
One possibility is teams featuring in the qualifiers will travel to Oman and enter the bio-bubble while the teams which qualify to main stage will only travel to the UAE.
The Oman team had already qualified to the World Cup preliminary round.
Sri Lanka, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Oman, Bangladesh, Namibia, Netherlands and Scotland will compete in the qualifiers, from which four teams will join the other eight in the final 12 stage.
India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, England, West Indies and Afghanistan have qualified directly to the main stage.
Earlier, the Board of Control for cricket in India (BCCI) said it had told the ICC of its decision to move the Twenty20 World Cup to the United Arab Emirates.
The BCC will organise the event in the UAE in October and November.
“We have told the ICC about the decision to shift the World Cup to UAE. We were left with no option as the Covid situation is not clear and the travel restrictions remain,” the BCCI’s treasurer, Arun Dhumal, said.
“The dates will more or less be the same and we will work out the details soon,” he added.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the qualifiers may take place in Oman while the rest of the matches will be at three UAE venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
“Dates are going to be the same. Immediately after IPL it will start. Qualifiers will take place in Oman and the rest of the matches will be on three grounds – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah,” Shukla told ANI. The ICC had given the BCCI a deadline of the end of June to decide the host country for T20’s showpiece event due to the high number of Covid-19 cases in India.
The BCCI announced last month the remaining IPL matches would be played in the UAE, which has been the back-up venue for the 16-team World Cup.
The UAE hosted IPL’s entire 2020 season as well as the final phase of this year’s Pakistan Super League.
India, home to 1.3 billion people, has eased some lockdown restrictions in recent weeks as it emerges from a brutal surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths in April and May.
But health officials fear that a new wave could sweep across the country, the world’s second-most infected after the United States, later this year.(With inputs from Agencies)
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