KARACHI:India will not be hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at home as the tournament has now been shifted to the United Arab Emirates and Oman due to coronavirus pandemic.
The tournament is set to run from October 17 to November 14. The tournament was originally set to be staged in India, but had to be shifted, given the consequences of the second wave of Covid-19 on the country.
The BCCI will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held across four venues – Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.
The upcoming edition will be the first Men’s T20 World Cup played since 2016, when West Indies beat England in the final in India. The eight teams competing in the preliminary stage are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman and Papua New Guinea, before the play-off stage and the final on November 14.
Acting ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said: “Our priority is to deliver the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 safely, in full and in its current window. Whilst we are incredibly disappointed not to be hosting the event in India, the decision gives us the certainty we need to stage the event in a country that is a proven international host of multi-team events in a bio-secure environment. We will work closely with the BCCI, the Emirates Cricket Board and Oman Cricket to ensure fans can enjoy a wonderful celebration of cricket.”