Cricket Australia's biggest challenge will be getting 15 teams into the country, feels Nick Hockley
Cricket Australia’s interim Chief Executive Nick Hockley has stated that bringing 15 teams to the country and then affording five to six teams in one city is a complex exercise in the current situation. Hockley has also hinted at appointing an interim to oversee the T20 World Cup.
There have been contrasting reports about the feasibility of the T20 World Cup happening this year, with the BCCI even openly going ahead with the plans of organising IPL during the window. There has been no official cancellation call yet from the ICC’s side but everyone seems to be agreeing to the idea of delaying the Australian edition. Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia Chief executive, stated that it will be a logistical nightmare to bring teams from 15 different countries with the pandemic still around.
“The reality is, and we’ve got much more understanding about this in recent weeks, crowds are most likely to come back before international travel. Our biggest challenge is getting 15 teams into the country,” Hockley told cricket.com.au.
“If I compare it with the prospect of a bilateral tour, you’re talking about bringing one team in and then playing individual matches. But the prospect of bringing 15 teams in and having six or seven teams in one city at the same time, it’s a much more complex exercise.”
Hockley, who was the T20 World Cup local organising chief during Kevin Roberts’ tenure, was installed as acting chief executive for his impressive work done to bring in over 86,000 people to MCG for the landmark women’s T20 World Cup final between India and Australia. While he is not sure if he will be given the CA CEO role full-time, Hockley admitted that he would quit as CEO of the T20 World Cup Organising Committee.
“I’ve had very mixed emotions. I was very shocked to be asked. I didn’t see it coming at all, so I probably haven’t had time yet to process it. I feel very sad for Kev (Roberts). On the other hand, I feel this is a massive privilege to be asked, it’s a massive responsibility and a massive opportunity even if it’s only for the next few months.
“My approach throughout my entire career has been to focus on doing the best job I can with what I’ve been tasked with, and the future will look after itself. And I’ll continue the same approach. That’s (T20 World Cup) been a real priority over the last 48 hours. We’re reasonably well progressed and we will be appointing an interim because you just can’t do both,” he said.