IPL key factor in learning what protocols need to be followed for T20 WC: Manu Sawhney

International Cricket Council's (ICC) chief executive, Manu Sawhney has said that the postponement of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would surely be used as one of the examples before finalising bio-secure protocols for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

PSL had gotten postponed on Thursday after a string of Covid-19 positive cases and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that the safety of players is paramount and it would now look to hold the league in a different window this year.

"It is extremely important for everybody to realise that in the case of risk mitigation, it is not a linear curve. For example, given a series which is a bilateral series, let's say between two teams, versus let's say a World Cup, which has 16 teams coming from 16 different countries into one country, the risks associated with that are exponentially larger and way different. And those are the complexities that all of us are right now are going through and understanding each day better than the day before as to what needs to be done," ESPNcricinfo quoted Sawhney as saying.

"So, for us right now, learning from what is happening in the various T20 leagues, learning from what India is doing currently - and BCCI has done a great job - and post this the IPL will be a very key factor in terms of learnings before we look at what are the protocols we'll have to follow for the T20 [World Cup] later in the year," he added.

The T20 World Cup is slated to be hosted in India this year in October-November. The venues for the tournament are yet to be revealed.

"But getting 16 teams from different countries with their quarantine protocols, with their risk factors....getting them into the country, then making sure the tournament happens and making sure that the players can then get back to their respective countries is an enormous challenge and a challenge where everybody needs to come together and everybody needs to realise that there is a high probability that things may not go as per plan. And to have the faith that everybody is trying to do his best to make things happen given the uncertainty which still exists," said Sawhney.

The BCCI is also looking to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India this year. The venues are yet to be announced for the 14th edition of the tournament.

(ANI)

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