Reports | ICC deadline for EOI ends, India stays away

03/17/2020

The March 15 deadline given by the ICC to its associate members, inviting EOIs (Expression of Interest) to host ICC events for the period 2023 to 2031 ended on Sunday. The United States and West Indies Cricket Board are solely showing interest in hosting the tournament, India hasn't reacted to it.

The Big Three India, England and Australia have not reacted to the same. In fact, it turns out, the United States along with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are the only ones to have come forward, showing interest in hosting the T20 World Cup in the new rights cycle. A leading cricket administrator, who shares the Indian cricket board's views on matters of global cricket functioning said that as a threat to make India, England and Australia sit up ICC was trying to use this way.

"All that the ICC was trying to do was use this (inviting EOIs) as a threat to make India, England and Australia sit up. It's clearly not working," said the administrator, reported The Times Of India.

The ICC hasn't indicated yet if it has received any more EOIs. An email inviting such EOIs had been sent from the office of ICC CEO Manu Sawhney on February 13 this year, suggesting the EOIs would help shape the RFT process and gauge the initial interest of the members and their respective governments. The governing body also refused comments on the matter, saying they will not be commenting on matters related to members.

"The Board agrees that the process off allocating the hosts for ICC events should be open to all members," Sawhney wrote.

A little more than a month later, there seems to be no word on it despite the end of the deadline.