Kolkata: Michael Hussey, former Australian batsman and batting coach of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, said cricket boards around the world will be nervous to send their teams to India for the T20 World Cup in October-November. Hussey, who had tested positive for the virus during his stay in India, has returned home and is in quarantine in Australia.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is going ahead with plans of retaining the event for now and hosting it in nine cities, the international cricket community is now in state of panic at the devastating second surge of the pandemic which forced a suspension of the IPL on May 4. The onus will also lie on International Cricket Council (ICC) to take a call within the next two months.
“I think they’ll have to look some pretty big contingency plans, perhaps looking at the UAE or somewhere like that that could host the World T20. I think there will be a lot of cricket boards around the world that’d be pretty nervous about going back to India for a cricket tournament.”
“I think it’s going to be very difficult in my view to play that tournament in India,” Hussey, who is serving quarantine, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.com.
While CSK saw Hussey and bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji get infected, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and SunRisers Hyderabad were the other teams affected by the virus. It eventually led to the postponement of the tournament.
“We’re talking about eight teams in the IPL. I think there are probably similar number, maybe more teams coming in from overseas [for the T20 World Cup], there would be more venues. As I said earlier, if they’re playing in different cities, that is when the risk goes up,’’ Hussey said.
The UAE has already been kept as a back-up venue for the touoach rnament.
