The T20 World Cup will be moved to the United Arab Emirates from India due to the coronavirus pandemic, an Indian cricket board official told AFP on Monday.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it had told the International Cricket Council, the sport’s world body, of its decision to host the event in the UAE in October and November.

“We have told the ICC about the decision to shift the World Cup to UAE. We were left with no option as the Covid situation is not clear and the travel restrictions remain,” BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said.

“The dates will more or less be the same and we will work out the details soon.”

The ICC had given the BCCI a deadline of the end of June to decide the host country for T20’s showpiece event due to the high number of Covid-19 cases in India.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the qualifiers may take place in Oman while the rest of the matches will be at three UAE venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

India, the world’s second-most populous nation, has eased some lockdown restrictions in recent weeks as it emerges from a brutal surge in infections and deaths in April and May.

The BCCI had already moved the suspended Indian Premier League to the UAE in September-October after the T20 tournament was halted on 4 May following a number of players and team officials becoming infected with Covid-19.

© Agence France-Presse