ICC board meetings is in doubt due to coronavirus

The status of the next set of ICC board meetings is in doubt due to travel restrictions emanating from the coronavirus epidemic that has disrupted movements across the globe. The ICC meetings were scheduled to be held over the March 26-29 weekend in Dubai and is an important one, given that the ICC management wants to get on with the bidding process it has drafted for global events in the 2023-31 cycle of the Future Tours Programme.

Not everyone is on the same page as the ICC, however, with the BCCI, ECB and several other boards wary of adding extra ICC events into the next cycle, which would eat into their bilateral calendar. Although the events were approved by the ICC Board last October, the BCCI and ECB have since raised strong objections and now want to re-open consultations on the additional events before moving ahead on the bidding process. Also on the agenda are finalising the playing conditions for the ODI League which will start in May 2021.

But the impact of the coronavirus in the UAE, where a number of sporting events have either been cancelled or played behind closed doors, and schools have been shut, means that the ICC, as well as its members, are monitoring and reviewing the status of those meetings. The UAE has also put in place travel restrictions on individuals traveling in from certain countries. The country has so far reported 74 cases of people being infected.

If the ICC meetings are postponed, it will be the second time a key cricket meeting has been taken out of Dubai. Earlier this month the members of the Asian Cricket Council were scheduled to meet there to discuss the venue for the Asia Cup, but deferred due to concerns about the coronavirus.

The ICC’s final decision is expected either tomorrow, or next week but alternative options could include postponement or video conferences.