New Delhi: Australian great Ian Chappell feels the suspension of IPL is a reminder of cricket’s vulnerability and does not rule out the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a postponement or shifting of the upcoming T20 World Cup from India.
The 2021 edition of the lucrative T20 league was suspended earlier this week after four players — Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Wriddhiman Saha, Delhi Capitals spinner Amit Mishra and KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier — tested positive for COVID-19 in the bio-bubble.
”The suspension of the 2021 IPL tournament because of surging Covid infections and deaths among the public, and a number of participants testing positive, was a reminder of the game’s vulnerability,” Chappell wrote in his column for ‘ESPNcricinfo’.
India, which is grappling with a devastating second wave of the pandemic with cases rising by over 4 lakh everyday, is scheduled to host the T20 World Cup in October-November.
”In the current disastrous climate, the suspension of the IPL could also produce a precedent. It may lead to the World T20 event, programmed for India later in the year, either being postponed or moved.” Chappell recalled a few incidents that led to the disruption of the game in the past.
