MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) said on Tuesday it welcomed the ‘clarity’ given by the postponement of the Twenty20 World Cup but would not be drawn on whether it preferred to stage the delayed event in 2021 or 2022.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday postponed the tournament scheduled in Australia for October-November, acknowledging the logistical challenges of hosting 16 teams amid the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions.

The ICC said Australia and India would host T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 but it was undecided who would host which.

“We absolutely welcome the clarity, which is obviously important to make sure we can plan and deliver the best possible summer we can,” CA interim CEO Nick Hockley told reporters on a video call. “It goes back to safety and getting the best possible understand of the health situation and working with the latest and best available information.” India, who will host the 50-over World Cup in 2023, was to stage the T20 event in 2021 in the original calendar.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2020