The novel COVID-19 or coronavirus has already created the doubtful fate for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020. Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones feels that the tournament is not possible to organise this year in Australia.
Australia will organise the seventh edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which has been scheduled between 18th October and 15th November 2020. But the coronavirus has shaken up the entire world, and cricket has also been affected due to this pandemic.
While the Cricket Australia (CA) and International Cricket Council (ICC) are doubtful about the fate of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020, where 16 teams will participate, Dean Jones feels Australia can’t organise this global tournament this year due to many reasons. One of his major reasons is the retrenchment in the CA due to the financial crisis.
Jones recently said in an interview with SportScreen on YouTube, “T20 World Cup isn’t going to happen in Australia this year for a lot of reasons. Firstly, Cricket Australia has retrenched a lot of people. So when you have have 16 teams here, and 30-40 people per team including staff, players and administrators, you won’t be able to do it.”
The host country also doesn’t make much money by hosting a World Cup: Dean Jones
Jones also feels that the present World Cup tournaments are not very much profitable for the hosts, which will discourage the CA to organise the T20 World Cup in this crisis.
Meanwhile, India will tour in Australia in late this year for the full international series. The CA has already released the full schedule of India tour of Australia 2020/21. Jones believes that it is much profitable for the CA as the Australian cricket board can generate a revenue of around US$ 220 million from the forthcoming India tour of Australia.
Jones claimed, “Especially with the cover restrictions being very stringent here in Australia. And the host country also doesn’t make much money by hosting a World Cup. They used to, but not now under the rules. So, where do they (Cricket Australia) make their money now? We will make 220 million US dollars on a full India tour of four Tests and ODIs.”
I think the CA can handle India: Dean Jones
As hosting the India series will massively help the CA financially, Jones believes that Australia can handle to host this series, but he hasn’t the same positive view for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020.
Jones continued, “And of course Australia is in a pickle, like all other cricket boards and so they are trying to protect their own space. So I think they can handle India and not be able to handle 15 other countries coming here.”
If the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 gets postponed, Australia can host this tournament either in 2021 or 2022. Meanwhile, India has also been scheduled to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in October-November 2021.