Cricket Addictor
Sri Lanka has now emerged as the one more option to host the 2021 T20 World Cup in October-November after reports surfaced that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in talks with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Officially scheduled to be hosted in India, it was earlier reported that the BCCI had been in talks with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to host the T20 WC event in the UAE.
As the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) set to be hosted in the UAE in September-October, the used wickets in the three venues might not be good for hosting a World Cup.
ANI quoted a source. “See, there is no denying the fact that BCCI and ECB officials have been having discussions on taking the showpiece event to UAE with an eye on the COVID-19 situation in India. But, what also needs to be kept in mind here is that hosting the IPL would mean quite a few games, not to forget other tournaments or matches that might be held in some of the venues and tired wickets by the time of the World Cup.
“Keeping the playing conditions in mind, there have been some talks with SLC officials (on hosting the event in Sri Lanka) and just basic discussions, to be honest. Too early to get into the details, but we still have some time before we need to get back to the ICC to inform them on the situation as the BCCI will continue to have the hosting rights even if it is played outside India.”
Sri Lanka can be more favourable to host T20 WC as the country has more venues in comparison to UAE. The UAE has Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah as its venues, while Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo alone has three stadiums, apart from several others in the rest of the island nation.
But on other hand, There’s a possibility of adding Oman as a co-host if the tournament happens in UAE.
According to Cricbuzz, Oman has emerged as the potential co-host alongside UAE for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 5, 2021