Cyclone loom large over Oman Twenty20 games

Article posted by Coliseum, October 6^th, 2021

Image: Oman Cricket

Stadiums in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will operate at 70 percent capacity for the Twenty20 World Cup, although conditions in Oman – where preliminary rounds are due to be played – are still to be fully assessed following a cyclone.

The ‘sky sports’ stated that Tropical Cyclone Shaheen struck coastal areas of Oman, including the capital of Muscat, on October 3^rd, just a week before preliminary round matches of the tournament commence on October 10^th.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (earlier known as ICC World Twenty20) is the international championship of Twenty20 international cricket. Organized by cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the tournament currently consists of 16 teams, comprising the top 10 teams from the rankings at the given deadline and six other teams chosen through the T20 World Cup qualifier. All matches are played as Twenty20 internationals.

Some 3,000 fans would be accommodated at the 3,000-capacity Al Amerat Stadium in Muscat, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on October 3^rd, although the cyclone left streets in the Omani capital under water, prompted evacuations from coastal areas and delayed flights in and out of the country.

The ‘sky sports’ further stated that the 16-team tournament was shifted to the Gulf States as COVID-19 beat the pulp out of India not very long back. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains the event host.

Dubai (UAE)-headquartered the International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa. It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1987.

Mumbai-headquartered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the governing body for cricket in India and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. The Board was formed in December 1928 as a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act.

The ICC and the BCCI are working in close coordination with the host authorities to ensure fans are welcomed in a safe environment and COVID-19 protocols are followed in all venues.

An ICC statement read, “The T20 World Cup is the largest sporting event to be held in the region and it will be the biggest global cricket event since the pandemic with fans in stadia. In the UAE all venues will be operating at approximately 70 percent of the maximum seated capacity, whilst Abu Dhabi has also introduced new socially distanced ‘pods’ of a maximum of four spectators on their East and West grass mounds.”

Dubai, which hosts matches including the November 14^th final, and Sharjah are the two other venues in the UAE.

The UAE is currently hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) with fans at a reduced capacity.

England begin their T20 World Cup campaign on October 23^rd against reigning champions West Indies and also share a group with Australia, South Africa and two first-round qualifiers.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league contested by eight teams based out of eight Indian Cities. The league was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2007.

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