India Leads The World Test Championship(WTC) Table With 360 Points:
Test playing Nations Chief Executives will take part in a conference call next week to address the effects of the COVID–19 pandemic on the Future Tours Programs (FTP). The inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) which is now in question should be at the center of the agenda. Next year’s final is planned for June.
India is ahead of 360 points in the WTC index. Lying second (296 points), Australia has already missed a chance to overtake India as leaders following the postponement of its two-Test series in Bangladesh scheduled for June.
England’s Sri Lankan tour was delayed too, with further card disturbances. The West Indies and Pakistan visits of England in June-July are likely to be disrupted with the UK government continuing the lockout to May 7 with a potential extension pending.
“No one really knows how long this would continue and which nation will come out of it, and when. The FTP may need to be revisited when participants tend to realize when can and when can’t be rescheduled,” said a source near to the developments.
After the 2019 ODI World Cup, the two-year WTC period started with each team playing six Test Series-three at home and three abroad. Notwithstanding the controversy about the points scheme, the postponements left the WTC process itself in tatters.
With India and Australia already on the track, they should support continuing the period past June 2021 instead of scrapping the championship.
India To Host A T20 World Cup In 2021, ICC Is Looking At Multiple Scenarios:
The first ODI league due to begin in May is to bring bilateral ODIs in perspective and will act as a qualification route to the 2023 World Cup. This should be adjourned today.
As scramble to book replacement slots in a post-pandemic environment starts, the preparation would determine economic concerns. The major three boards (India, Australia, England) have priority at mitigating losses.
BCCI wants to locate its premier event slot, IPL. WTC or not, India would like to see the 11 home matches (3 T20s, 3 ODIs, 5 Tests) against England happen in 20-21 despite the high-value media rights offer of the board.
Cricket Australia is depending strongly on India’s year-end tour to prevent a big dent in its balance sheet. The England agency, ECB, is the most impacted since the whole home season is in question, including the annual ‘The Hundred.’
That poses concerns about the October-November T20 World Cup in Australia. The boards concerned, at least the strong ones, who stand to gain more money out of cricket at home than out of the share of ICC income, may be willing to book their own window ahead of the World Cup.
With India staging a 2021 T20 World Cup, ICC looks at several possibilities. “We proceed with our preparations for ICC incidents as they are but despite the constantly changing scenario, we also conduct a detailed contingency planning exercise as a proactive and responsible step… We will continue to inform specialists and officials, including the Australian Government, and take decisions at the correct time, “a spokesperson for the ICC said.
