Former Australian captain Mark Taylor feels a possible delay in the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in October-November this year will open a window of opportunity for the Board of Control for Cricket in India to conduct the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Taylor in an interview with Channel Nine Sports has observed that the T20 World Cup in Australia will likely be postponed from October 18 to November 15 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, possibly paving way for the IPL.
Taylor thinks that the required quarantine of all the teams in Australia on arrival will be the toughest of the tasks for the World Cup hosts.
“I think that’s the most likely scenario (postponement of T20 World Cup) because 15 teams planning to come to Australia between October and November, 45 matches over a proposed seven venues, national travel is going to be extremely difficult in the world we are living in,” Taylor has said. “Fourteen days of isolation before that makes it even harder. More than likely that event is not going ahead. So if the ICC decides to postpone the event that will open the door for the BCCI to say that ‘we will have our IPL in India’ which puts the onus back on individuals rather than nations moving whole teams over to a certain country.”
Taylor has also hinted that any delay in the T20 World Cup scheduled will give Cricket Australia an advantage to negotiate for an additional Test during the home series, scheduled from October this year to January 2021.
“Cricket Australia will obviously want the T20 World Cup but at the same time will be working hard with India that if their players go there for IPL, they will want India to come to Australia for our summer of cricket next year,” Taylor said. “Cricket in a way is fortunate with the timing. They have now got some time to do some planning. I do not doubt that CA will now be thinking about IPL and not T20 World Cup. They want India in this country. That’s what they want and they are already talking about Adelaide Oval as a hub.”
Taylor also did not rule out the entire home series against India at one venue. “I think it is… if you have to pick one State you probably pick Adelaide. They have got a hotel attached to the ground.”