Australian speedster Pat Cummins is of the opinion that the T20 World Cup shouldn’t be held in India as the organization of such a blockbuster event will overwhelm India’s resource pool, which is already under severe strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He reckoned that the first checkpoint in the staging of a tournament of this scale, given the current circumstances, must be the safety of the general public and the economic sustenance of the nation.
"It's probably too early to say. It's six months away. The priority should be for cricket authorities to work with the Indian government to see what's best for the Indian people," Cummins told Australian daily The Age. "If it's going to be a drain on resources or it's not going to be safe, then I don't think it's right to play it over here. That's the first question which needs to be answered," he observed.
Cummins recently left India after IPL 2021 was indefinitely suspended owing to bubble breaches in several franchises. The Australian contingent is staying put in the Maldives as Australia has barred all flights coming from India till 15 May.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in India in the October-November window this year. However, with the highly contagious strain of COVID-19 stretching the country's healthcare system to its brink, the BCCI is mulling its options to hold the marquee league elsewhere.
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