da bet7： A look at the marquee events for men and women that are likely to be affected by the pandemic
da bet sport： Nagraj Gollapudi20-Mar-2020Impact on Associate cricket
The World Cup League and the World Cup Challenge League, two main tournaments that constitute the pathway to the 2023 men’s World Cup Qualifier in 2022, are likely to be affected.
World Cup League
USA – April 1-8: USA, Scotland, UAE (postponed)
Namibia – April 20-27: Namibia, Scotland, Nepal
Papua New Guinea – June 9-16: PNG, Nepal, UAE
Scotland – July 4-11: Scotland, Nepal, Namibia
Namibia – September (dates tbc): Namibia, USA, PNG
World Cup Challenge League
Malaysia – March 16-26 (Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, Vanuatu, Denmark) postponed
Uganda – July 29-August 8: Uganda, Italy, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Kenya, Jersey)
Other series
Netherlands Quadrangular ODI Series -June 22-27 (Netherlands, Namibia, USA, Oman)
2021 T20 World Cup Regional Qualifiers
Europe: Group A – May 16-22 La Manga, Spain; Group B – June 24-30, Finland; Group C – June 10-16, Brussels/Ghent, Belgium
Americas: August 16-27, Toronto
Asia: Eastern Region April 2020 in Kuwait; Western Region, TBD
Africa: Group A – April 25-May 4, South Africa; Group B – June/July in Rwanda
East Asia-Pacific: TBD
Indian Premier LeagueDates: Postponed until April 15Teams participating: 8The IPL, originally meant to start on March 29, was pushed back by the BCCI to April 15 after the Indian government put a ban on social gatherings in addition to restricting entry to the country. The IPL, which started in 2008, has grown to become the most lucrative cricketing event, and even has a separate window to allow the best cricketers to participate in it. The BCCI is understood to have internally discussed stretching the schedule to as far as first week of June – the final was slotted for May 24 initially – to hold a complete event subject to a nod from the Indian government.ALSO READ: ‘If you take sport away, then I don’t know really what we have’Also attached to this is the fate of the Women’s T20 Challenge, featuring the top women’s cricketers from around the world, which the BCCI had said would have four teams this season. The competition, which had started as a one-off exhibition affair in 2018, has now grown in stature and is a likely precursor to the women’s IPL.World Test ChampionshipDates: Started in July 2019, currently held upTeams participating: 9The WTC got off the blocks immediately after the 2019 men’s 50-over World Cup. A tournament to be contested between the top nine Test-playing countries, the WTC was devised by the ICC as a marquee event culminating in a final between the top two teams on the table in June 2021 at Lord’s. A maximum of 120 points per series is at stake with each team playing six series – three at home and three away – in the period. However, while some teams have played a fair share of their six series, some teams are yet to get started in earnest, and many series were scheduled for the rest of this year.
March: Sri Lanka v England – two TestsJune: England v West Indies – three TestsJuly-August: England v Pakistan – three TestsJuly: West Indies v South Africa – two TestsJuly: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka – three TestsAugust: Bangladesh v New Zealand – two TestsNovember-December: New Zealand v West Indies – three TestsDecember-January (2021): Australia v India – four TestsDecember-January (2021): New Zealand v Pakistan – two TestsALSO READ: Bal – Sport still matters, perhaps more than we thinkODI LeagueDates: Scheduled to start on May 1Teams participating: 13Alongside the WTC, the ICC had also approved the ODI League, to be played between May 1 this year and March 31, 2022, which would serve as a qualification pathway for the 2023 men’s World Cup, to be played in India. There would be 13 teams, including the 12 Test-playing countries along with the Netherlands, that play eight series over a two-year cycle on a home-and-away basis against mutually agreed opponents.The ICC is yet to finalise the playing conditions for the league, which it is scheduled to do during the upcoming ICC Board meetings, scheduled over teleconference later this month.India (as hosts) plus the seven next-highest-ranked sides in the league as on March 31, 2022 will qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom five will get a second chance to make the grade through a qualifier.The ECB hopes to attract a more diverse range of fans to the Hundred•Gareth Copley/Getty Images
The HundredDates: July 17 to August 15 (men’s); July 22 to August 14 (women’s)Teams participating: 8 each for men and womenThe ECB is hoping their new format reaches audiences beyond the usual cricket fan, with affordable tickets for families and the return of livine cricket to free-to-air TV. Cut down from 120 balls in a T20 innings to just 100, it will fit neatly inside a three-hour prime time TV slot, with some of the world’s biggest stars set to feature.Asia CupDates: Scheduled for SeptemberTeams participating: 6This six-team event, contested by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is scheduled for September. It will be played in the T20 format with the PCB playing host. Later this month, the Asian Cricket Council is likely to finalise the venue for the Asia Cup.Men’s T20 World CupDates: October 18 to November 15Teams participating: 16After the successful organisation of the women’s event, Australia is set to play hosts to the men’s T20 World Cup later this year too. Last November, six teams – Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Namibia, Scotland and Oman – made the cut for the tournament after finishing in the top six of the qualifiers. Those six, along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will contest in the qualifying stage of the T20 World Cup. The top four from that will progress to join the top-eight teams to contest in the Super12s stage, where the teams have been split into two groups.ICC Women’s ODI ChampionshipDates: Started in 2017 and scheduled to end in 2020Teams participating: 8The championship is the pathway through which the top four teams on the points table qualify for the 2021 Women’s ODI World Cup, which will be played between February 6 and March 7 in New Zealand. New Zealand qualify as hosts. The remaining three slots will be filled after a qualifier, which is scheduled for July in Sri Lanka.Australia, defending champions England, and South Africa have already booked their berths based on the points they have earned in the Championship. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies are the other teams in the fray. Based on the points earned so far, India and Pakistan have the opportunity to qualify directly.March: South Africa v AustraliaUnscheduled: New Zealand v Sri LankaUnscheduled: Pakistan v India
