70 percent spectators will be allowed at all stadiums in T20 World Cup
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in October-November will allow 70 per cent of the spectators at all stadiums. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced this. “The ICC and the tournament’s host BCCI have worked closely with the host authorities to ensure that the visitors are welcomed in a safe environment,” the ICC said in a statement. Corona protocol will be applicable at all the venues. Following this decision of the ICC, the T20 World Cup will be the largest-scale tournament in the UAE since the Corona epidemic in terms of audience participation.
It is noteworthy that the second part of the PSL (Pakistan Super League) held in the UAE in June this year was held in the absence of spectators, while the current IPL 2021 is showing the presence of spectators in stadiums with less capacity. As previously reported, admitting fans to IPL matches is also a dress rehearsal for the local governments, ICC and BCCI in UAE for the T20 World Cup. Ticket sales for matches in both Oman and the UAE are understood to have started. The stadium in Abu Dhabi will also include social-distancing platforms and can seat up to four people each, while a temporary structure at the Oman Cricket Academy will enable up to 3,000 fans to attend in person. The T20 World Cup was originally scheduled to be held in India, but in 2020 due to the increase in corona cases in the country, it was shifted to the UAE, where the remaining matches of IPL 2021 are currently taking place.
It is noteworthy that the T20 World Cup will start on October 17 in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The qualifying round matches will be played here, in which Oman and Papua New Guinea will face first. From this round, four teams will participate in the main event, the Super Eight, which will start on 23 October. The first match of Super Eight will be between Australia and South Africa in Abu Dhabi. The final of the tournament will be played in Dubai on November 14.
