The decision by the ICC to postpone this year’s T20 World Cup came as music to the ears for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The BCCI was expecting the decision to be made a few weeks, if not months, ago but there were hurdles that delayed the announcement despite the fact that hosts Australia were not too keen on staging the tournament under existing circumstances.
However, BCCI is now on an overdrive to get its plan ready if it is to stage the suspended IPL in the UAE, starting last week of September.
“Hopefully, in next couple of weeks (BCCI) will seek clearances from the government for the tournament (IPL) to be played in the UAE,” IPL governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel told India Today.
“The UAE government offered us to host the IPL in their country and we are very much aware of the facilities and situation there. The IPL (first leg) was played there (UAE) in 2014 so we know what we are looking at,” Patel, a prolific first-class batsman, added.
The IPL governing council is expected to meet within a week to discuss and formalise further course of action with regards to staging the T20 tournament. “Within a week the IPL governing council meeting will be held where the next plan of action is to be discussed,” said another BCCI official, who is part of the IPL governing Council.
The BCCI Apex Council had met last week and it was decided that there will be a camp organised for the players at Ahmedabad’s Motera stadium. Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) was another venue for the camp that came up for discussion but due to the rising Covid-19 cases in Karnataka, it was rejected.
Apart from the reduced quarantine period, the BCCI also believes that the UAE, being a travel hub, is well connected. Medical facilities and previous experience of hosting the IPL may work in the UAE’s favour.
Ganguly though maintained that the BCCI doesn’t want the year 2020 to end without an IPL.
The BCCI is now targetting a shortened window of 5 to 6 weeks for IPL 2020. UAE, which had hosted the first leg of IPL in 2014, was zeroed in as the frontrunner as the BCCI expects the quarantine period in the wake of the pandemic to come down to a day or so during the window targetted for the IPL.
While several international sides have begun their training camps, the BCCI is yet to arrange one for its contracted players.
Ganguly said the BCCI is hoping to have a training camp for India players in August-September.
“We tentatively, if at all the IPL happens in October, maybe August-September would the time where we can pull the players out and get together for 15 days. The Asia Cup has been cancelled. But the players have been training.”
