Despite the ongoing derailment by the coronavirus pandemic of sports events all across the world, Cricket Australia remains committed to stage the 2020 T2o World Cup later this year.

With many competitions biting the bullet by ordering postponement or cancellation to avoid health or safety risks, the organisers of the showpiece cricket event are adamant that preparations are continuing as normal to ensure the World Cup gets under way as scheduled in October.

Cricket Australia’s chief executive Kevin Robertson is hopeful that the worldwide pandemic will be under control by the time the World Cup is set to kick off.

‘We’re really hoping that all forms of sport can be played again in a few weeks or a few months’ time,’ Roberts said at a media conference in Australia on Tuesday.

‘None of us are experts in this situation, obviously, so our hope is that we’re back in very much normal circumstances come October and November when the men’s T20 World Cup is to be played.

‘And at this stage we’re planning on November 15, to have a full house at the MCG to inspire the world through men’s cricket as the women’s cricketers did here just last week.’

Australia are coming off the back of a very successful Women’s T2o World Cup, which produced a record attendance at the MCG for women’s cricket during the final between the host nation and India.

But, since then the country has been forced to postpone a number of events, including their three-match ODI series with New Zealand and their domestic Sheffield Shield final.

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Roberts believes that they are in a fortunate position to still have a lot of time remaining in order to get everything in place for the start of the competition.

‘At the same time, there’s a World Cup planned for October-November, we’ve got agreements in place with the Victorian State Government, the Melbourne Cricket Club for the venue and our assumption is they go ahead as planned.

‘We’ve had Federal Government advice fed into those calls, the Deputy-Chief Medical Officer has been involved, so it’s really been discussions that acknowledge there’s a bigger picture at play here, of the health of the community and that’s been the focus,’ Roberts said.

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