There are various ways of looking at this piece of news. Truth is, it is not going to impress any doting cricket fan that not only is the ICC men’s T20 world cup has been pushed to 2021 but there’s also a delay in the women’s 50-over, i.e., ODI cricket world cup.
While a few days back we were already made aware that the Men’s T20 World cup, originally scheduled to take place this year had been delayed to the next year, i.e., 2021, it’s now also clear that the women’s ODI world cup, will be held finally in 2022.
But that is not the only bit of cricketing news that is making attention. In what might read as a complete change in the host trajectory, then for the men’s T20 world cup, Australia, which was originally to host the event has now made way for India. Therefore, to put it succinctly, the next edition of the men’s T20 world cup will now be held in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma-land!
However, the following edition of the same ICC event will take place in 2022 and then, in Australia, in lines with which the media site of the International Cricket Council confirmed the following piece of news:
“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 that was postponed due to COVID-19 will be held in Australia in 2022. India will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 as planned.”
Therefore, this clearly gives the idea that Australia will definitely be hosting the massively-awaited ICC world cup T20 (men’s) which will now be staged in 2022 Down Under. Meanwhile, there’ll be palpable excitement to see ICC shifting the 2021 edition in India, where the tournament last took place in 2016, a year most significantly remembered for the then Darren Sammy-led West Indies knocking out England in the big finals at the Eden Gardens.
So finally, T20 world cup action will return to the big cricket-loving country almost after a half a decade gap.
Having said that, it won’t please anyone following the much action-packed women’s game to note that what was originally planned to be held come 2021 will now be held in New Zealand, but not before 2022.
But having said that, it would also offer much-needed match practice to the international women’s teams that had missed out in 2020 owing to the Coronavirus pandemic.
That there’s not been any cricketing action in the women’s game whatsoever ever since the completion of the much-admired T20 women’s world cup (in Australia, during March) is known to all.
But due to all cricketing action being suspended thereafter, it was always going to be hard to imagine just how little cricket any women’s team from around the world could’ve gotten themselves to playing.
In fact, having said that, it is only in the coming months that the UAE is hosting the Women’s T20 challenger, a global event that will finally resume the women’s cricket after nearly over a quarter of a break owing to the pandemic. And immediately after that promising series, will one get to see the WBBL, easily the most watched and enterprising franchise-based T20 action held each year in Australia.
Meanwhile, for anyone who may not have noted what was planned for this year in major ICC series events can read the following excerpt published on LiveMint:
This year’s T20 World Cup was scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November but the tournament was postponed due to the logistical challenges of staging the 16-team event amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions in place.