MCC Chief Kumar Sangakkara on ICC T20 World Cup 2020, Says Options May Be to Cancel it This Year
The ICC T20 World Cup has been a matter of hot debate with some calling for it to be postponed to 2022 with an eye on the coronavirus pandemic while others feel that a ‘wait and watch policy should be adapted. Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) President Kumar Sangakkara feels that the point of focus should be the virus and how it will act over time.
Mumbai, May 30: The ICC T20 World Cup has been a matter of hot debate with some calling for it to be postponed to 2022 with an eye on the coronavirus pandemic while others feel that a ‘wait and watch policy should be adapted. Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) President Kumar Sangakkara feels that the point of focus should be the virus and how it will act over time.
Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, the former Sri Lanka captain said: "The real thing is what's going to happen with the virus. Is it going to disappear like SARS and MERS, or is this something that's going to come back seasonally? Will we have to live with this particular virus or different strains of it from time to time or do we have to live with it long term?
"If that's the case, then some of the changes that we have seen in our lives now, may be the new normal for us for a few years until a vaccine is found or until there's enough immunity globally among the people to withstand this. So, those are really questions that I don't think anyone can answer at the moment.
"We will get more clarity as time goes by. So, I can imagine sitting around a table for the ICC, trying to understand, consulting with experts to understand what's going on. And more so, the questions that a lot of us have in our minds have still not been answered by the top most experts in the world.
"Everyday, there are new learnings, new things being found out, so we will have to wait and see, but the options may be to cancel it this year, postpone it to another year, but to have in place anticipatory procedures that take into account health and safety of both the players and the spectators, and make sure that's iron clad."
Cricket Connected airs every Saturday & Sunday at 7 PM & 9 PM IST on the Star Sports network and Disney+ Hotstar.
The upcoming episode will see a gala panel involving Sangakkara, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa & Irfan Pathan, who will deliberate on pressing issues in the world of cricket during COVID-19 times.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2020 02:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).