Lahore, June 17: Holding the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia as per schedule would not be possible according to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani. Mani said that holding a multi-national tournament in a bio-bubble is very difficult as opposed to doing so for a bilateral series.

"We have had a lot of discussions and the feeling is it (T20 World Cup) would not be possible this year. ICC has World Cups lined up in 2021 and 2023, so we have a gap year where we can adjust this event," Mani, who also heads the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Finance and Commercial Rights Committee, told reporters on Wednesday. Pakistan Cricket Doesn’t Need India to Survive: PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 15 but has been shrouded in doubt due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. "God forbid if some player(s) falls ill or mishap occurs during the tournament, it will have a big impact and create panic in the cricket world and we can't take that risk.

"Having a bio-bubble environment is feasible for say a bilateral series like Pakistan in England, but it is very difficult when 16 teams are involved," he said. Mani's comments come on the heels of Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings saying that it is unlikely for the World Cup to be held this year. "Trying to get 16 countries into Australia, when most countries are still going through Covid spiking, is unrealistic, or will be very, very difficult," said Eddings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2020 11:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).