Australia will host this year’s postponed Twenty20 World Cup in 2022 with India retaining their tournament next year.
The ICC also confirmed the women’s 50-over World Cup that was scheduled to be held in New Zealand in February-March next year has been postponed to 2022 following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cricket Australia interim CEO Nick Hockley said: “It has been a challenging time for everyone and we would like to thank all the fans who purchased tickets and supported the T20 World Cup in 2020.
“This decision gives Australia something to look forward to in 2022.
“It also gives us a good chance of safely welcoming fans into the outstanding venues across the country to enjoy watching the world’s best cricketers compete in this major global event.
“We would like to thank our government partners and venues for their continued support and we are working closely with them to retain the same host city and venue footprint established for the 2020 tournament, to the fullest extent possible.”
ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said the decision allows the sport to have some clarity about the future.
“We now have absolute clarity on the future of ICC events, enabling all of our members to focus on the rescheduling of lost international and domestic cricket,” Sawhney said.
“We will now proceed as planned with the men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in India and host the 2022 edition in Australia.”
Before the pandemic disrupted the game’s calendar, Australia were scheduled to host this year’s tournament in October-November followed by the 2021 edition in India, who will also host the 50-overs World Cup in 2023.
In its board meeting last month, the ICC deferred the tournament in Australia keeping in mind the logistical challenges involved in staging a 16-team tournament amid existing travel and other restrictions.
The Indian cricket board, according to media reports, were reluctant to sacrifice the 2021 slot for Australia and host back-to-back World Cups in 2022 and 2023.
All teams that qualified for this year’s tournament in Australia will compete in India next year, the ICC said, while a new qualification process will be put in place for the 2022 tournament.
Moving the women’s World Cup would allow teams to be sufficiently prepared in 2022, Sawhney said.
“There has been no women’s international cricket played since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup earlier this year and… that is likely to remain the situation for a number of the teams,” Sawhney said.
“Moving the event by 12 months gives all competing teams the chance to play a sufficient level of cricket ahead of both the qualification event and leading into a Cricket World Cup.”
Paul
Roar Guru
Agreed about the scheduling, but I wonder whether the ICC is thinking and forward planning properly? Locking in expensive to run tournaments that far into the future in the current highly uncertain environment seems irresponsible to me. It simply be a case of two of crickets top dogs being thrown a few bones, but there are potentially some serious financial ramifications, eg broadcast deals that could easily fall through.
The real SC
Roar Rookie
In 2022, ICC will stage three events In February 2022, they will stage the Women's ODI World Cup in NZ. Also, ICC will stage a T20 Women's World Cup in South Africa. I suspect that it will be in September 2022 (as it won't clash with the Birmingham 2022 Games). In Oct-November 2022, ICC will stage the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
True enough, not that scheduling can do much about that.
Paul
Roar Guru
Sorry, Timmuh, I was thinking more about supporters going to games as well as teams and their support staff. I'm expecting airfares to skyrocket when airlines finally get clearance to fully fly again and there are likely to be significant additional costs, eg compulsory health insurance to cover everything plus covid, accomodation won;t be cheap, etc. Throw in the hundreds of millions out of work and it might only be a select few who can actually afford to attend.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Yes I agree.. It takes a bit away from the uniqueness of it.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Given the slice of broadcast money the ICC hands to competing teams, I think teams can attane the tournaments. The qualifying tournaments are another question, especially for the 50 over comp where anyone from Zimbabwe down is no real chance of qualifying because the world has been removed from the world cup. The impact on other tours, and only having three months between the T20I and 50 Over comps, is a concern. FTP scheduled tours would be impacted regardless, there aren't gaps in the calendar over an Australian summer with NZ and SA limited to the same months.
Paul
Roar Guru
I wonder if it will be a case of overload though? I also wonder how many will be able to afford to attend, given the likely shape of the economy over the next few years?
Timmuh
Roar Guru
$, or more accurately, ₹
Paul
Roar Guru
I get the reasoning behind moving the dates of this tournament but have never understood why there has to be two T20 World Cups in 2 years for the men? Now it will be three World Cups in 3 years, if the ODI WC is included in 2023.