The venue for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates and Oman, announced International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday. The tournament is scheduled to be held 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,” ICC said in a statement.
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) will remain the hosts of the event, ICC confirmed.
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 first round of the tournament, comprising the eight qualifying teams, will now be split between Oman and UAE. Four of these teams will then progress to the Super 12s round where they’ll join the eight automatic qualifiers.
This will be the first Men’s T20 World Cup played since 2016, when West Indies had beaten 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 14 November.
“Our priority is to deliver the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 safely, in full and in its current window,” said acting ICC CEO Geoff Allardice. “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.”
“The BCCI is looking forward to hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 tournament in UAE and Oman,” added BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. “We would have been happier hosting it in India but considering the uncertainty due to the Covid 19 situation and the importance of a world championship, the BCCI will now continue to host this tournament in UAE and Oman. The BCCI is looking forward to creating a spectacle.”
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