Full steam ahead for men’s World Cup: Roberts

Cricket Australia is planning for the men's T20 World Cup tournament to be held as scheduled in October and November this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing the current summer season and radically altering the global sporting landscape.

In announcing the decision to cancel the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield final (thereby handing ladder leaders New South Wales the title) and recommending that all community associations around the nation follow suit, CA chief executive Kevin Roberts confirmed planning for the showpiece men's tournament remained unchanged.

That event is scheduled to begin with a pre-qualifying tournament held in Geelong and Hobart from October 18-23, while the main 12-team competition is set to kick off with a match between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground and then India v South Africa at Perth Stadium on October 24.

Given the two last-named venues also host Australian Football League (AFL) matches during winter months, the AFL's announcement yesterday they may consider extending their season into October due to the impact of coronavirus has raised questions about potential schedule conflicts.

However, Roberts said today that while the constantly changing responses to the global pandemic presents challenges for long-term decisions, CA is currently planning for the T20 World Cup to proceed as programmed with the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 15.

"We're really hoping that all forms of sport can be played again in a few weeks or a few months' time," Roberts told reporters today.

"None of us are experts in this situation obviously, so our hope is that we're back in very much normal circumstances come October and November when the men's T20 World Cup is to be played.

"And at this stage we're planning on November 15, to have a full house at the MCG to inspire the world through men's cricket as the women's cricketers did here just last week."

With the Sheffield Shield final cancelled and an expectation states and territories will adopt CA's recommendation that all amateur cricket should also cease forthwith, the next scheduled men's international commitment is the two-Test series in Bangladesh set for June.

That tour is followed by an ODI series in the United Kingdom, but Roberts indicated no decisions had been reached on whether either series would go ahead and it was unlikely any call would be made on their viability until the weeks immediately prior to their scheduled start.

"All I'd say on those is we hope they go ahead, because if they go ahead it means the Australian community and the worldwide community are in better shape than we are just now in relation to coronavirus," he said.

Before then, however, a number of Australia men's players are contracted to take part in the Indian Premier League T20 competition, the start of which is currently suspended until April 15 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Roberts confirmed that CA had not received any recent updates from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the IPL's outlook, but will continue to share the latest health advice from the Australian Government to help players with decision making should the tournament proceed.                 --Smh